The Feathers of the Phoenix
by KiPanda Cutie
Summary: Because those that are innocent, aren't always pure. Because black steel won't favor the darkness. Because the past is not a definition. Because Recognition reveals your wants and needs. Because blood can, and will, mix with water. Have you ever noticed that the sakura trees signify the beginning? Or that crimson threads entwine lovers' fates? After Tokyo, before Infinity. R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! This is my very first Anime/Manga Fanfiction, and I'm not really new to the whole creating a fanfic thing. The first two stories I've made are currently Movie oriented. I decided to make a KuroFai story because...well...I can't help myself when it comes to simply adorable couples like them. Here's the first chapter of the story. I hope you like it! I'd like to present to you, the first chapter of The Feathers of the Phoenix!**

**Hey... Has it ever hit you that Yue from Cardcaptor Sakura have very distinct similarities to Fai? Yue has cat-like blue eyes. Similarly, Fai D. Flourite has sapphire blue eyes, and when he was (or still is? WHY YOU GOTTA BE CONFUSING TSUBASA?!) a vampire, Fai had cat-like eyes in his vampire-ima-gonna-suck-your-blood-while-being-very-scary mode. Just had to put that out. They're obviously not related in any way, but I found it very interesting that Fai and Yue shared this characteristic. Anyway, read on!**

**~Disclaimer: I don't own Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle. It belongs to CLAMP, which is an amazing and brillant author/artist.~**

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><p><em>Have you ever been under the sakura trees?<em>

_They say that being under a flock of these floral trees signifies the beginning of a very important story or stage in your life._

_Has that journey began yet?_

_Are you traveling with that person yet?_

_Have you met that Someone yet?_

_Has that Someone met you?_

_On a different topic, have you ever felt the sunlight?_

_Have you held a handful of liquid sunshine, and drank in its innocent purity?_

_Did you relish and savor its warmth? Did you feel its conflagration light the core of your soul ablaze?_

_Is Love like this? Is this how Love feels?_

_Will you finally feel that Love under the sakura trees? Is this when you awaken from an internal sleep?_

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><p>Blonde hair slammed into a tan forehead as two men collided with one another. A warm pair of liquid sapphires sparkled with amusement despite the aching pain pounding in his skull.<p>

"Sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going. Must've been off in my own little world for quite a while, eh Kurogane?" Fai smiled slightly, lips curved upwards in a small smile.

The opposite man flinched when hearing his full name being used by the magician.

Kurogane glowered at the opposite man intensely, but said nothing. He was getting tired of the nicknames and the plastic smiles, and he was definitely tired of wishing for a more genuine expression to plaster itself upon that idiot's face.

Ever since the incident in Tokyo, the bond-if you would call it a bond-between them was cracking and crumbling at an alarming rate.

And that was just how that blue-eyed fool liked it.

"You're making it awfully hard to talk when you're being silent and scary, Kurogane," Fai pointed out with another small curve of his lips.

The ninja snarled. "I'm surprised that you're still talking to me. Why don't you just leave me alone so we can get this over with faster?"

Kurogane's words took Fai by surprise. The mage had taken a couple steps away from the ninja, eyes widening as he stumbled back. He quickly recovered himself and grinned another one of his signature fake smiles.

"What ever do you mean, Kuro-pu?"

Kurogane could see Fai's fear under all of his feigned expressions of happiness. _He was scared that Kurogane would grow closer. That the bond between them would mend itself. He didn't want that. _It sickened him that Fai could act so calm and content when the mage was literally unraveling before everyone's eyes. He could never explain or describe the white hot bubbling feeling that rose to his chest whenever Fai would conceal his feelings from the world.

"You know what I mean, mage. Back in Tokyo, you told me that you were afraid of hurting the ones you loved. You wanted to keep your distance so none of us would get close. But like I said, whether you like it or not, you're involved, Fai." Kurogane's eyes narrowed dangerously.

Instead of staggering back in shock, Fai began to laugh, the wind chime-like noise resonating from his vocal chords in short bursts. "So you think you've got me solved, do you?" Fai's voice was threateningly soft. His remaining sapphire orb morphed into his signature vampire eye, the slit pupil swimming around its yellow iris with fury. "Let me tell you something, Kurogane. You don't have the slightest clue about me, or my past, and what I think about. You would peel away if I showed you my past, if I showed to you all the memories I have. There is nothing you can do to close this distance, and I _will_ leave it that way. You could've let me waste away in Tokyo, you could've given me what I wanted. _Needed_." Fai clenched his fists. "But you didn't. You let me live. You fully understood that you were going to be my prey, and you knew that if you died, I would as well. You _wanted _me to live. You're such an insolent-"

"You think I was just going to let you die?! What do you think Syaoran and the others would say?! What about Sakura?! They need you. I don't want to hear about your selfish reasons. I don't care about your past. I only care about what's happening here and now. You're not going to get anywhere if you keep taking a step backward, Fai." Kurogane had his hand on the sheath of his sword, grasping it tightly.

The wizard's eye returned back to its watery blue state. He clenched and unclenched his fists and laced his fingers out in front of him. The smile had reappeared again. "Well I think this has been a lovely little chat. I'm just going to check on the children. You can stay here and mope if you want, Kurogane."

Kurogane seethed as the man walked out, the grip on his sword whitening his knuckles. Fai was hiding something extremely important, and Kurogane wanted to find out. He needed to find out **now**.

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><p>"So what world have we transported to this time, Mokona?" Kurogane could hear Fai's soft voice ring in his ears.<p>

The cream puff hopped on Fai's shoulder. "Well, I'm not sure exactly, but Yuuko told me this morning that this place has lots of pretty birds!"

Kurogane huffed, startling the group slightly. "So it's kinda like that bird cage world we went into last time."

Mokona nodded. "Uh huh! I bet we'll see lots of them in this world!" The furball's stomach growled noisily. "But first, I'm hungry! Let's get something to eat, eat, eat!"

Sakura giggled lightly. "That sounds like a great idea, Mokona. Where should we go?" She turned to Syaoran.

The boy smiled thoughtfully. "When I was wandering around the town a little ways from here, I noticed that there was a little cafe down the street. Why don't we grab something to eat there?"

Kurogane shrugged, not very hungry. "I don't care." He lowered his voice so only the mage could hear his next few words. "I've got a score to settle with the idiot anyway."

Fai heard perfectly and grinned. "Of course you do, Kurogane." Confusion was equally painted on both Syaoran and Sakura's visages.

And thus, Operation: Lunch Break was issued.

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><p><strong>And...TADA! First Chapter done! I'm a little surprised. I didn't think I would actually get this story written. I'm thinking that this story could be four or five chapters, I don't have a clue.<strong>

**Now, how about a little theater?**

_Fai: Operation: Lunch Break, I like it!_

_Kurogane: Shut up, mage. I never agreed to this._

_Mokona: *In a Kurogane voice (another one of Mokona's 101 Secret Techniques)* I agree, Fai! I like to eat, eat, eat!_

_Kurogane: SHUT IT FURBALL OR ELSE I'LL EAT YOU FOR LUNCH!_

_Mokona: Uh oh, Kuro-pu's angry, angry angry! Mokona is going to hide, hide, hide! *hides in Fai's coat*_

_Fai: Don't worry, Mokona. Kurogane's just grumpy all the time._

_Mokona: Ha ha! Kergy's a grumpy pants!_

_Kurogane: If you two don't shut up right now, I'll strangle you both to bits!_

***And, scene!***_  
><em>

**Thanks for bearing with me, stay tuned for the next chapter! Reviews very much appreciated!**

**KiPanda Cutie**


	2. Chapter 2

**Good afternoon! I hope none of you woke up grumpy today! I've come back to write more, so...yeah. Please feel free to check out my other fics, Winter's Dawn and Avatar: Queen of the Northern Water Tribe if you're interested in Disney and Dreamworks Crossovers! (Advertising, it's fun!)**

**Anyway, I've been thinking. Halloween is next week, and I'm kinda thinking of dressing up in Sakura's uniform but I'm really cosplaying as Tomoyo from Tsubasa Chronicle (purple thread in her hair, it's just so pretty!). My hair is not as short as Sakura's, in fact, it's kinda long. Anyway, my fantabulous friends offered to help me out. So, shout out to nekowithachainsaw and my fantabulous friend Joy!**

**Question of the Chapter:**

**Don't you just wish you could stop attending school like Mokona, Kurogane, and Fai? (Sakura and Syaoran must've attended some kind of royal and archaeology study building thingy, right?) **

**Btw, THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS GUYS! It means a lot! I'm glad that you guys also love Kurofai!**

**Kira: It's okay, I don't speak Spanish, but I will try my best to decipher (and Google is my friend.)**

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><p><em>The more you tangle and knot the string of fate, the more you are destined to never find him.<em>

_Will you find him?_

_Why do you continue to mangle your thread?_

_The more you try to snip it, the stronger it gets._

_This thread around your finger, why do you try untying it?_

_He is your lifeline. You can't escape him._

_Even the sakura know that._

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><p>"I think this is the place." Syaoran led Sakura inside, Kurogane and Fai following close behind.<p>

"Hm, it seems like this cafe is pretty popular. What should we order?" Fai sat down in one of the booths, taking a menu in his hands and examining it closely.

Kurogane took a seat next to him, making escape inevitable for the mage. Fai furrowed his eyebrows slightly but said nothing.

"The woman that runs this place said that the soups and baked goods here are the most popular." Syaoran traced the edges of his menu slowly, as if thinking about what to order.

Even with the real Syaoran here, it still felt like the clone Syaoran was with them. There would be a permanent crack in their bond, and there was no way to change that.

Sakura said nothing, suddenly engrossed in Mokona's ears, stroking them gently. Ever since the incident in Tokyo, the princess hadn't taken things well either. The group could clearly see how deeply wounded she was every time she took a quick glimpse at Syaoran.

A waitress slowly walked up to their table and asked for their order.

Fai smiled. "If you don't mind, I'd like to order first. Is that okay?" The group nodded, with Kurogane saying absolutely nothing.

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><p>"That was really quite delicious, don't you think?" The mage wiped the remaining crumbs of his chocolate croissant away from his lips.<p>

Mokona hopped onto Fai's empty plate. "Yeah! Mokona's stuffed, stuffed, stuffed!" The cream puff turned to the ninja and frowned. "But Kergy didn't even touch his food!"

Kurogane looked at Fai with narrowed eyes, obviously frustrated by the incident that had issued earlier. "I wasn't hungry."

Fai laughed lightly. "Come on, it isn't mannerly to order something and let it sit there."

"I said I'm not hungry." Kurogane's eyes flared, a rising anger threatening to spill over.

Mokona climbed onto Syaoran's shoulder. "Let's go, let's go! Mokona wants to go look for Sakura's next feather! It's close by, Mokona can feel it~!"

The kid rubbed Mokona's forehead lightly and looked over towards Kurogane and Fai. "Ready to go?" His politeness stung at Kurogane, causing him to internally wince.

"No, you and the princess go ahead with the meat bun. We'll wait here." Kurogane nodded curtly at the boy, hiding whatever fury that had bubbled to the surface.

The children and the manjuu bun left, leaving both ninja and mage behind. Fai had secreted himself behind his menu again, his growing hair shielding his visage. Kurogane turned to look at the hiding wizard, snatching the menu out of his hands.

"Oh look, you found me." Fai smiled sweetly at Kurogane, his tone struggling to sound light.

"Look idiot, I don't know what's going on in that pea-sized brain of yours, but you better start thinking straight." **(A.N.: That's funny...Thinking straight. Hilarious how both Fai and Kurogane can't think straight...if you get my innuendo.)**

The blonde's smile widened. "That's exactly what I want; I don't want you to know."

The ninja glared. "Well you're never going to get anywhere if you keep everything bottled up inside."

The smile never faltered.

"What are you hiding behind that sick and twisted smile of yours? I don't get why you can't tell us. You know all about us. We have a right to know."

And quietly, Fai lowered his eyes and spoke. "You already know who I am. I'm a mage that has run away from his country, transferring from world to world trying to find safety from a king that wants to kill me."

Kurogane growled. "That's it! I'm done trying to put up with you and your secrets." He wrapped his fingers around Fai's throat. "If you won't tell me, I'll force it out of you." His grip on Fai's neck tightened, causing Fai to gasp in pain.

"Y-you...d-don't...need to...kn-know...My...p...past...defines me..." He noisily tried to inhale more oxygen, his eyes starting to roll back into his head. "...you already s-s-said...you...didn't...c-care...about my...past..." He desperately tried to pry Kurogane's hand off of him, but his attempts were futile.

"You've got to be kidding me," he slammed the mage against the wall, keeping his grip on his neck. "I don't have time for your silly games." His eyes glinted dangerously for the moment, then flickered out. His grip on Fai slackened, and he let go.

The blonde coughed and wheezed, panting for air in the process. He calmed himself and slumped to the wall, rubbing the milky skin of his neck. Despite the fact that he had been choked, Fai laughed. It was a short breathy sort of laugh, the type of laugh a madman would use. He tangled his fingers in his hair, secreting his eyes from view.

"What's wrong with you?" Kurogane's eye twitched involuntarily, a new wave of frustration building up in his bloodstream.

"Mm, nothing." The mage flashed an amused glimpse at the ninja, savoring the frustrated expression he had placed on his face.

Suddenly, a dark shadow overlapped with the slice of sunset that had managed to slip through the window of the cafe. Both men froze, an earsplitting scream voiced above the roof. They exited the shop, examining the object that had screeched on top of the cafe. Long ribbon-looking spectacles that, upon closer inspection, were tail feathers, draped over the canopy of the building. Both men trailed their eyes over the silken feathers, seeking out the source of the noise. Large wings enveloped most of the building, hiding away the identity of the large beast. Light cerulean plume covered the creature's body, its talons a light cream color. Kurogane unsheathed his sword, the blade glinting against the sunset's pinks and oranges. The beast unfurled its feathers, sensing danger. The beauty of the creature was overwhelming. A long neck uncurled from its chest, and a needle-like beak opened to reveal a pale crimson tongue. However, despite its godlike beauty, the bird's eyes were shut and the orbs were hidden from view.

"Phoenix," Fai breathed out in amazement.

Sure, the exotic variety of birds in the birdcage country had been magnificent, but the blinding creature before them was indescribable. What had Mokona said about this world? Kurogane took a minute to collect his thoughts. Fai continued to part his lips in awe as he stared at the bird.

_Wasn't the phoenix the mage's kudan back in the first world they had traveled to?_

Fai jumped to the top of the building, his hand outstretched towards the phoenix, cautiously walking as if he was trying to tame the animal. Kurogane's eyes widened and he leapt after the fool, trying to tug the edges of his coat to pull him back down. Fai swatted the ninja's hands away in a flash, his eyes flashing dangerously for a moment. The ninja was forced back down, sword clattering to the ground. The blonde's pale hand touched the phoenix's beak, and Fai relished the smooth and pearl-like texture of the bird's mandible. The creature's eyes trembled, as if the eyelids were trying to break free. Fai leaned closer to the beast and whispered in the spot that its ear would be.

"Excuse me kind one, but I am searching for something very important to a girl that the swordsman and I care about very much. A boy is searching for these feathers to help the girl, and we wanted to know if you had seen anything."

The bird's neck seemed to curl slightly, and it lowered its head. _I know of two things you seek of. I can grant you one of which you seek, but for a price._

The bird's "voice" reverberated in Fai's mind, rippling his blood and making his body shiver slightly. It wasn't an uncomfortable effect that the phoenix had on Fai. Instead, the phoenix's voice sent a mixture of warmth and cool into his body.

The mage smiled. "And for what price?"

_What do you feel for the swordsman?_

Fai frowned. "Well that's a very blunt question. Sakura's memory for the answer to your question? Then that's too simple. Kurogane is just someone that happens to be traveling with us to get back to his world and reunite with his Princess Tomoyo."

_Wrong. You may think that this is all you think of him, but you are lying to yourself, just as any fool would. Let me ask you again. What do you feel towards the swordsman?_

The wizard tapped his chin thoughtfully, his lips curled downwards in a small frown. "I don't know. I've only met the man, even though we've been traveling for quite a while now. We seem so distant, yet so close. I don't understand what you mean by this question. Nor do I wish to know the true intentions behind your asking."

_Again, you are incorrect. You do want to know the meaning behind this question, and you do understand what I truly mean by asking. The swordsman has a very special place in your heart, and until you realize that, you are to be asleep with your memories of your past given to him. The only thing you remember is of this journey. He will be able to visit your dreams as you are resting, but until he realizes what he wants and understands your past, you will not be awakened. All magical influence will be drained of your body temporarily, so you are to not wake by using magic._

Fai's eyes turned to slits for a moment, anger flashing through his system in repetitive waves. "Why do you want him to see my past? It's filled with pain and grieving. This was what I wanted him to keep away from...Without my past as a barrier, he will become closer, and I will have no way to stop him..." He relaxed his body. "However, I accept this consequence and await my awakening."

The phoenix's eyelids ripped open, a stream of golden blood leaking from the broken seams. The phoenix's eyes were a crystalline blue, the orbs transparent enough so that one could stare right at the pupil which appeared as a solid black sphere of ink. The pupils dilated, spinning and forming a magic circle very unique to Fai's own. A light blue beam shot out of the magic circle, stabbing into Fai's remaining eye. Fai's eye turned the golden color that the vampires like himself had, the eye switching from sapphire to golden repeatedly in fast motions. He felt the phoenix's wings envelope him, and its beak speared through his palm, coating its bill with the vampire's blood. The creature used the ruby liquid to draw a symbol on his wrist, the marking flashing for a moment, then sinking into his skin. The blonde had no time to scream, for his eyes were clamped shut and he was sent into a deep sleep.

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><p><strong>Hehehe. Phoenixes are so pretty, but they scare me with their sharp beaks and everything. Fai and Kuro-pu are so brave! Stay tuned for the next chapter! AIR HUGS!<strong>

**~KiPanda Cutie**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone...**

**So...I got 2 more reviews!**

**Thank you all! And to all a good night!**

**Okay, so I just came back from a sleepover...**

**...I MISS YOU JOY! Erhem, I forgot your Fanfiction account username... ;-; don't be mad!**

**I noticed something today...**

**...Isn't the name Kamui somewhat overused in animes?**

**I mean like...**

**...there's a Kamui in Tsubasa Chronicle...**

**...and a Kamui in X/TV (and X/1999)...**

**...and there's a Kamui in D. Gray Man?!**

**How does one name an anime character?**

**Question of the Chapter: If you could be one stereotypical anime character, who would you be? Ex.) The innocent lolita, the comical blonde, the mysterious and grumpy ninja, the quiet but enlightened character that has the most amazing and harmonious voice ever... (yeah, I'm talking about Fai. Although...he could be the comical blonde as well...)**

**Me? Well, of course I would love to be the lolita! (^o^) But I guess you already knew that...**

**~Disclaimer: What else do you want to hear from me? A song? I don't own Tsubasa Chronicle! The lovely CLAMP does!~**

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><p><em>Because the angelic creature has cursed you with powerless sleep...<em>

_...You shan't wake now._

_Face the facts..._

_...Face to face..._

_...Face him..._

_And only him..._

_Alone._

_Why do you refuse to accept?_

_Why are you forcing yourself to sink deeper?_

_This deep water will only bring pain, and it is sure to force the past towards the present._

_And yet...is there a part of you that yearns for him in your future?_

_Grab his hand and reach your fingers out, brush along the surface._

_Let the sakura show you the way, let them show the both of you your one beginning._

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><p>The first thing Kurogane saw as the damned phoenix lifted its wings was the stupid mage falling from the roof.<p>

**(That might be the only time you see me swear...Unless you're my RL friends...then it would be the second time.)**

Kurogane choked back a string of profanities as he lunged forward to rescue the unconscious blonde. The ninja caught Fai in his arms gracefully (which Kuro-pu was never going to admit, since being graceful isn't manly), and he laid him on the hard concrete.

"Oi, baka." The ninja huffed angrily.

The mage said nothing, his fingers falling limply to his sides.

"Wake up."

No response.

Feathers rained from the sky as if the angels from Heaven were shedding, the light cerulean phoenix feathers descending from the setting sun and scattering among the ninja and wizard. The phoenix feathers that fell on the mage made him look ethereal, an unearthly glow resonating from his body. All the color had drained itself away from Fai's complexion, and to his mortification, Kurogane spotted the gaping hole in his hand. Blood quickly bubbled to the surface of the wound, blooding profusely dripping from both ends of the speared wound. Kurogane quickly tore off a bit of his shirt, the country's material feeling foreign and expensive in his hands. The tattered piece of fabric was bound tightly around the area of spearing, and the blood was forced to slow down its rate of escaping. Kurogane bit back the urge to leave the blonde's body out on the road, tying the last knot of his makeshift bandage tightly.

"Hope your arm doesn't turn purple and swell..."

He could imagine the bastard simply laughing and cooing a small _"Daddy-chan's so nice and caring! What a nice daddy!" _**(Oops, I lied.)**_  
><em>

Kurogane sent a menacing glare towards the fallen wizard, tugging at a piece of the vampire's hair. "Why aren't you waking up? Did the stupid bird scare you that much?"

Fai's breathing was dangerously shallow, his eyelashes secreting the seam of his eyelids. Kurogane frowned and grabbed his pale wrist-the injured one. Immediately upon contact, the mage's hand clamped around Kurogane's, blood staining the tanned hand grabbing it. The markings that the phoenix had drawn on Fai's arm glimmered a blinding fluorescent blue, making the arteries and veins there visible to the human eye. Kurogane's arm showed the same effects, his arteries and veins glowing against his sinewy flesh. The ninja froze on the spot, unable to think about what had just happened, or what was going to happen next. The vampire's eyes shot open, the blue orbs wide with pain and confusion. His irises became magic circles, spinning in his eyes and instantly causing the other man's eyes to space out and glaze over.

"W-what...?" The ninja slumped over, crimson orbs shutting. "...What's...h-happening...?"

Kurogane's body collapsed upon Fai's, draping over the mage in a protective sprawled position. Black tainted his vision and the world blurred to nothingness.

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><p><strong>(Okay, let's make one thing clear: I've read the whole Tsubasa manga, and what I'm writing here is just a brief summary of Fai's past. Dialogue has changed a little, but overall, it still summarizes what happened to Fai when he was tiny and adorable.)<strong>

_Where...am I?_

_The ninja had woken up to find himself in the middle of some sort of kingdom, but instead of being busy and crowded, there was barely anything or anyone there. Kurogane knocked on wooden doors, broke glass windows, and hollered at the top of his lungs. However, nobody would invite him in or open their doors. There was nearly no one. The townspeople that had inhabited themselves in this deserted area didn't notice him, walking along as if nothing and no one was in their way. However, there was a panicked expression that had painted itself on their features, as if there was something troublesome brewing in the kingdom. As he searched around more, he realized that this kingdom was completely and utterly ruined. This peculiar town had become victim to something horrible, and he was curious to know what. Suddenly, the ninja was swept off his feet as a wooden wheelbarrow slammed into his back._

_"HEY! WATCH IT!" He yelled, but no one seemed to notice._

_A man that was pushing the wheelbarrow sprinted down the cobblestone path, the white blanket in the wheelbarrow (that Kurogane had just noticed) flew off, revealing a deceased woman in the wheelbarrow's grasp. Kurogane froze in his tracks for a moment, shocked. Why would there be a dead body in a wheelbarrow, and why is this town so deserted? Questions seemed to fly through his mind all at once, but he brushed them aside as he ran after the man._

_'I have to stop that man before he gets away. He may have killed that lady!' Kurogane thought urgently._

_Using his longer legs as an advantage, the ninja took huge strides and attempted to grab the man's collar. However, before he could, the man stopped and dumped the body in a large valley._

_"What the..." Kurogane's sentence was left unfinished because as soon as he took in a heavy gasp of air, he choked on his own breath._

_The odor that radiated off the valley was putrid and blinding. Kurogane took a closer look, and his crimson eyes widened at what he saw._

_Dead bodies._

_A mountain of the deceased._

_And at the top of them sat a young boy._

_Sparkling blue eyes._

_Blonde hair._

_It took a moment for the ninja to realize who the young boy reminded him of, but as he realized this, he took a step into the valley._

_"Fai!"_

_He ran as fast as he could, knowing by now that this little version of Fai would not hear him, but he called out to him anyway. Why he was so happy to see the stupid bug, he didn't know. But all that mattered was that the fool was here, even if he had decreased in age and height. As he ran up to tackle the child, he stopped._

_"Don't worry, Fai. I'm going to find a way to get to you." The child began to grab onto a dead man's arm, dragging him to the wall of the tower that blocked his path._

_Kurogane watched with disgust and bewilderment as the not-Fai-child began to stack dead bodies upon other dead bodies, creating some sort of hellish ladder._

_"Yui, are you sure about this?" A small and quiet voice asked from above._

_Kurogane shifted his attention from the not-Fai to the child that was apparently the stupid mage he was traveling across dimensions with. From the window of the tower, the same child had perched his elbows on the stone, watching below. Yui nodded._

_"Yes. Once I get to you, we can get out of this place together and kill that evil king. Don't worry, this time it's going to work. Trust me."_

_The ninja rolled his eyes. These twins were starting to get on his nerves._

_Yui reached out as high as he could and grabbed the edge of a dead woman's gown tightly. He pulled himself up, placing his foot on the nose of a dead man. Even if these people were already dead, Kurogane couldn't help but feel sorry for them. The child kept climbing, wiggling his small body up the makeshift ladder._

_"I'm almost there, Fai. I told you we were going to make it!" Yui called up to his twin, smiling a genuine smile that left Kurogane's eyes bugged out._

_However, as Yui reached his hand to the last body on the ladder, his twin tried to reach for him._

_"Wait a second. The ladder is too small. My arms can't reach you!" Fai stretched out a little farther, his arm trying to grab his twin desperately._

_Kurogane began to scale the wall, his ninja training giving him the upper hand in reaching the child. He got to the top and tried to reach for Yui, the urge to reunite both brothers intensifying each breath. As Yui made it up the last body, he reached his hand out for Fai's, completely ignoring Kurogane's. The ninja huffed and decided to try something different, since the brothers weren't getting anywhere close to grabbing onto each other. He wrapped his arms around Fai's middle, ready to lift him towards Yui. However, as he circled his arms around Fai's middle, his arms went through the boy's body as if the child were made of smoke.**  
><strong>_

_"What...?" Kurogane swiped his hand through Fai's body repeatedly, utterly frustrated at how and why his hand was going through a living child._

_Yui's footing slipped as his tiny feet tangled in a dead girl's hair. He went tumbling down his ladder, the bodies falling after him. Fai reached out towards his brother, trying to catch him, but with no success. From below, Kurogane could see Yui forcing down his angry tears, refusing to let his brother see his pouting and tear-streaked face. However, Kurogane could tell that Fai knew that his brother was in deep sorrow, because he crawled into the corner of his room and began to write on the walls with his head down in equal grief. The ninja examined the child's scribbles intently, trying to decipher all of the crossed out lines and slashed out carvings in the stone._

_'What do these stand for...?' The walls were covered with counting marks, Kurogane discovered. However, there were way too many for him to count._

_Fai sighed and curled up in a corner. "That was the eighth time you tried to reach me, Yui... I have a feeling that we aren't going to be together anymore soon..."_

_Kurogane cocked his eyebrow in confusion. 'What is that brat talking about...?'_

_Suddenly, before he could gather his thoughts, time seemed to shift before his eyes, and he watched Fai and Yui grow thinner and weaker as time quickened its pace. Both twins' hair grew to their toes and pooled down in knotted heaps of bloodied blonde. The markings on the walls continued to cover the walls, soon enveloping the stone like a blanket. Kurogane was stricken aback as this time change did not affect his age or health condition. Time stopped, and Kurogane reached out to Fai._

_"Why are they starving you...? Why is someone so young like you living in conditions like this?" Kurogane's hand went through Fai like wispy fog. "And how did someone so miserable like you end up being the most obnoxious and stupid mage in the world?" The ninja had to stifle a cackle as he heard his words fly out of his mouth._

_Fai didn't answer, which Kurogane was still confused by. Neither the twins or the townspeople seemed to notice him. Being a tall and muscular ninja clothed in black and red, he thought he was pretty conspicuous. However, he wasn't noticed or acknowledged by this world's people at all! Before he could think about this, he was transported to Yui at the bottom of the tower, and a giant slit formed in front of him and the little Yui, opening to reveal a wrinkled man in expensive robes._

_"Who are you?" Yui questioned the man in an irritated voice._

_"I am someone from another dimension. I have come to give you two choices, one of which you must choose to either save your brother or yourself." The man smirked. "You and your brother Fai have the most powerful magic of all time when together. The source of your magic is in your two eyes. However, it seems as if you both have been separated and held captive in this tower. You both want to escape from this wretched tower, yes? Well, I have a proposition. You can either let your brother live, and you will die to let your brother escape. The other option is that you will live, and your brother will die. This will allow you to escape. Which will you choose? Yourself, or your brother?"_

_A screeching sound erupted in Kurogane's ears, as if something was blocking him from knowing what else was happening._

_"Save..._

_...Save me. Kill Fai instead."_

_The ninja swore as loud as he could, shock and anger coursing through his veins like a fiery river of hurt. "You're Fai's bratty little brother! You're supposed to save him! No, save you and your twin! What are you doing?!"_

_The man smiled and sickeningly sweet smile._

_Kurogane stepped in front of Fai, flying his arms out in a defensive position. "Don't you dare hurt the kid, you cowardly monster."_

_However, the man didn't seem to notice._

_"Kill Fai. Save me instead." Yui said his brother's name with determination, despite the tears running down his pale and bony face._

_The man smirked. "Very well. Your choice has been made. Fai shall die so you can survive." The man returned to the top of the tower and grabbed Fai's emaciated body._

_The man swung his arm towards the window and released his hold on the ragged child. Fai went flying, his body smashing into the snowy earth with a loud crunching sound. Kurogane screamed out in agony, jumping after the boy._

_"Fai...Don't die...please..."_

_Kurogane huddled next to Yui, his eyes blazing with fury. "I realize now...this is the past...But how is Fai still okay in the present day? He's dead now, how is he still living then? And why did Yui order his own brother to death?"_

_The man that had thrown Fai to his death suddenly approached Yui through his portal. "You have made your choice. You will soon be able to escape from here, Prince Yui of Valeria. A man will pick you up from here and save you. In the near future, you will meet a group of travelers: A boy and a girl from a different world, a ninja from another dimension as well, and a Mokona. Before you escape, two curses shall be laid upon you for your committed sin. The first curse shall be that if you should meet anyone with greater magical powers than yourself, you will be induced into a trance...and you shall kill him or her. Also, the second curse is that if you shall return to the country in which the man who saves you lives, and someone else other than yourself does not kill said person that had saved you, you shall be stuck in that country as it crumbles before your eyes."_

_Yui knelt to the ground, holding his dead brother closer to his body. "Isn't there...isn't there any way I can save Fai?"_

_The geezer chuckled. "Oh yes, there is one way. You will be able to revive your brother once both curses have been activated." He disappeared with that happy note._

_Time shifted once more, a couple nights and days passing before his eyes. From the distance, he could see a man trudging through the snow, eyes alight as he saw Yui's face. The tiny child had still not loosened his hold on his brother, a psychotic flash glinting in his eyes._

_"Come now, I've come to rescue you from this place." The guy smiled kindly. "My name is King Ashura of Celes Country. May I ask for yours?"_

_Yui stared at his twin brother for a long time, removing the tangled locks that had planted themselves in front of his face. "My name is..."_

_Kurogane raised his eyebrows._

_"My name is Fai."_

* * *

><p><strong>HOLY CRAP THAT WAS INTENSE! I HAVE NEVER EVER WRITTEN A MORE INTENSITY INDUCING CHAPTER IN ALL OF MY FANFICTION YEARS! Okay, so now that we have that out of the way, let's have Summary Time! Gather round class!<strong>

**So in this chapter, Fai reveals to Kurogane his past unconsciously. Originally, the real Fai (dead twin) sacrificed himself to Fei Wang Reed (the evil geezer) to save Yui (the living Fai). However, Fei Wang twisted Yui's poor memory to think that he (Yui) had told Fei Wang to kill Fai in order to make himself survive. What a frigging jerk, that Fei Wang. Twisting a child's memories like the pedophile/scary bad man he is. AIR HUGS!**

**~KiPanda Cutie**


	4. Chapter 4

**How does one continue after a breakdown inducing chapter?**

**The answer is...**

**...MORE BREAKDOWN INDUCING BUT FLUFFY CHAPTERS WITH KINGS THAT LOOK LIKE SCARY BUT HANDSOME RAPISTS! HOORAH HOORAH!**

**Okay guys...it's time to get serious here. Fai hasn't woken up yet, of course. This will be the first dream sequence you see. I have a very very veryyyyyyyyyy big hatred (to the core) for Ashura. Yup. Down with the ol' King of Psychotic Cuckoos! Well, ya know what...maybe just a glimpse. Or a touch. Or maybe the whole thing. Your call. This part won't be as accurate, so please, don't hate me on this. **

**Onward to the breakdown inducing fluffy chapter!**

**Question of the Chapter: If someone you cared about was going to move away soon, how would you deal with it?**

**~I DO NOT OWN TSUBASA CHRONICLE. CLAMP DOES. I ALSO DO NOT OWN THESE MEMORIES. FAI D FLOURITE AND CLAMP DO. KUROGANE ALSO BELONGS TO CLAMP, BUT HE'S PAYING A VISIT IN FAI'S PAST.~**

* * *

><p><em>He's getting closer...<em>

_...Can you feel his presence?_

_The sakura petals can feel it, the ripples in the water are finally forming._

_Will you dream with him?_

_Will you finally spread you wings and be free of this sleep?_

_How can you awaken..._

_...When you are stuck in your past?_

* * *

><p><em>Kurogane was transported into Celes country immediately, and time was shifted just as fast. The sight that his eyes beheld before him refreshed his mind like a glass of pure water. The idiot was cleaner, healthier, and as much as the ninja hated to say it, cuter. His blonde hair was cut short so that it just reached his shoulders. An eight year old Fai was clad in the clothes that the ninja had first seen him in; smaller, but still the same.<em>

_"I have just returned."_

_"Welcome. It seems like you've subdued the avalanche in the western valley, Fai." King Ashura's voice was soft and warm, a deep rumble that Fai seemed to grow comforted to, as far as Kurogane could tell._

_"How can you tell?"_

_"I can." Ashura smiled thoughtfully. "Even if you're far away, even if you're in another world, I can tell. _

_Your magic is..._

_...the real thing, Fai._

_Should you become lost in some world, I'll go pick you up."_

_Fai looked up into Ashura's wise eyes. "...What should I do? I mean, about what you wanted to request from me?"_

_The king closed his eyes. "...I wonder, do you love Celes?"_

_"Ashura-ou..." Fai's face was a portrait of concern._

_"Do you love this country?"_

_It took no time for Fai to reach an answer. "Yes. Everyone is kind. Besides, I'm allowed to stay here."_

_"Then...Should something happen, will you use your power for the sake of this country?"_

_"But...if someone with stronger magic powers than mine enters this country..." Fai trailed off._

_"You're cursed to kill that person, right?" Ashura spoke grimly. "I can't remove that, but I can suppress it. Your magic power is something that grows stronger the more you use it." The king outstretched his arm, revealing his bare palm. A burst of magic blossomed from his hand, forming a curved and geometric image, resembling that of a phoenix. "If this is traced on your body, further growth of your magic powers will be restrained until this pattern disappears._

_Though if I die..._

_...It will lose its effect."_

_Fai cried out in horror. "Die, you?"_

_"People die, all the time."_

_"...Majesty?"_

_"I would like you to destroy those who bring harm to the people of this country." Ashura's face darkened. "No matter who the person may be. That is my wish." The king returned back to that calm and collected visage of his._

_Fai furrowed his brows in determination. "If...it's all right for the time I stay in this world."_

_"Thank you, Fai." The king ended with that._

* * *

><p><em>"It looks like you've already memorized the spell in these magic writings, Fai." Ashura's voice was laced with amusement.<em>

_"...Yes." Thirteen year old Fai replied without much enthusiasm._

_"You've ended up learning most of the magic writings in the castle." Upon realizing the tone of Fai's voice, the king turned his attention from a spell book to the adolescent blonde. "What's wrong, Fai? If there's anything you're worried about, I'd like you to tell me, okay?"_

_Fai reluctantly nodded. "...No matter how much I try, restoration and healing magic...I can't learn them. All I can remember is attack spells..._

_...Only things that hurt people..."_

_Silenced leaked into the room, Fai staring down to the floor, saddened._

_"Try...smiling." King Ashura demonstrated, a small curve gracing his lips._

_Immediately, Fai's head shot up. "...Eh?"_

_"Smile." Ashura nodded encouragingly towards Fai._

_The blonde stared down at the tiled floor again, his feet shuffling side to side nervously. An embarrassed flush worked its way up into Fai's shy and pale face, his hair covering his eyes. Determined to follow through on the king's orders, the preteen looked up into his king's eyes and smiled._

_A bright and warm smile._

_An open smile that brought chills and heat running down Kurogane's spine all at once._

_"You were able to use it...the magic."_

_"...Eh?" Fai's head shot up once again, confusion wiping the smile off his face, leaving the small evidence of smile lines._

_Ashura curved his lips thoughtfully. "With your smile, Fai, my heart was healed enough. This is also magic."_

_The blonde was silent for a long time, his hair once again secreting his eyes from view. A bright flush tainted his milky face, and Fai continued to shift from side to side shyly._

_The king ruffled the blonde's hair and held him close._

_"Thank you..." Fai finally answered._

* * *

><p><em>Time shifted again, making Kurogane feel like he was beginning to develop time-traveling-whiplash. He barely had time to recover from the previous memory, and the ninja was still caught up in the young Fai's rare and genuine smile.<em>

_"So it was here, huh?"_

_"Ashura-ou." Fai's voice was a pleasant, silky ring that reminded Kurogane of the present, the real and grown Fai. The blonde was sitting in front of a pool that a young woman with floppy cat-like ears was sitting it._

_"The people from the castle area sent a rare wine, as a token of gratitude for you melting the frozen lake."_

_Fai's face twisted into an ecstatic expression, a goofy grin etching its place onto his lips. "Alcohol!~" The young man sang this happily._

_"It's good that you've become able to smile like that, Fai. But I wonder...how is it that you prefer liquor over food?" Ashura joked._

_Fai laughed, a bright and happy sound that echoed around the large room they were in. "It's because Celes' alcohol is delicious!" The young man sang once again._

_Suddenly, the mage jumped back, outstretching his arms in surprise, scaring the woman in the process. Kurogane didn't notice what Fai had flinched from until he stared at the King's hands._

_A ruby river was trickling down his hand, and his hand was thickly blanketed in the substance._

_Blood. _

_"Your Majesty...did you get hurt?" Fai stepped forward, about to tend to his "wounds."_

_Ashura looked at his blood-covered hand and examined it. "It's not that..."_

_Upon closer inspection, Kurogane noticed that the king's eyes were glazed over as he stared at his hand._

_Blood._

* * *

><p><em>Kurogane groaned. Another time lapse? How many memories had he witnessed?<em>

_He saw Fai burst into the castle, the doors barged open. "I will go suppress the beast! However many days it takes, I will make sure to defeat it. For the people of Celes to be sacrificed any further..."_

_Ashura's back was turned to Fai, a strange thing, Kurogane noted. "In that case..." The king turned around, his hands once again covered in blood. His face was splashed in the crimson substance, a strange glint in his eyes. Ashura repeated himself. "In that case..._

_...You must defeat me, right?" The king sounded calm and collected, yet something wasn't quite right about him. Dead bodies laid at his feet, covering the floor like dirty carpet._

_Simultaneously, Fai and Kurogane let out a sound of shock. "W-wh-what?!"_

* * *

><p><em>"Enough with the goddamned time shifting!" Kurogane yelled, his hands covering his eyes tightly.<em>

_"This isn't a memory, Kurogane." A familiar soft ringing whispered from around him, somewhere, he couldn't quite place his finger on it since his hands were currently covering his face._

_The ninja let go of his visage. "What-where are we?!"_

_Cherry blossom trees were planted on either side of him, the scenery around him vibrant and bright. The sky was a startling white, the blue sky invisible. The path beneath his feet was unfinished, the trail ending not too far away from him, more like a couple feet._

_Fai's voice echoed somewhere far away. "A dream. You're dreaming..."_

_"But...I saw your past... I...I saw that King Ashura guy and the real-"_

_Before Kurogane could finish his sentence, the sakura trees began to tremble and shake, raining petals and blossoms from their flowery masses. He could hear Fai suck in an audible breath and release it shakily, the sky graying._

_"I...I know..."_

_A cloying silence enveloped the room into an uncomfortable pause._

_"Your past doesn't define you, you know that, idiot?" Kurogane huffed gruffly._

_"My life is my past, Kurogane. This life that I'm still living revolves around my history."_

_Kurogane squeezed his eyes shut and willed the fool to reveal himself. "Reveal yourself. Come out so I can punch the wits out of you..."_

_"I cannot...I...I...I ca-ca-cannot...I am not...not strong...enough...yet...They said...the petals say...I'm...not...ready...yet..." Fai's voice had already started to fade out._

_"Wait! Stop! Don't you leave on me, mage!" Kurogane tried to grab at the white sky above him, half expecting his fist to be enclosed around Fai's throat, but nothing happened._

_Kurogane continued to run forward, as if running was the only way he was able to see the idiot. However, the path had not yet formed completely, and the ninja couldn't move but a couple strides. "Let...me...go..." But his attempts at pushing through were futile._

_You shall wake now._

_You shall regain your consciousness now, dark crimson._

* * *

><p>Kurogane jumped out of his lying position, looking around him in a fervent manner. Where was he now? Was he time lapsing? Is this the real world? It had started to rain heavily in this world. He found Fai's still unconscious body below him, the mage's face revealing a blank expression.<p>

Blank.

Like white canvas.

That's all that Kurogane could see in the man.

For now.

The ninja hauled the moron's body over his shoulder, completely ignoring the way Fai's right side seemed to immediately curl into Kurogane's neck, just to feel his warmth. No, Fai wasn't awake yet. Not yet.

Kurogane headed back to the apartment that the traveling group was staying at, and entered in their room key. He set Fai on the bed and tucked the covers over the blonde's body. Suddenly, a peculiar shaped object landed in the palm of the ninja's hand. Where it had come from, or why it was here, he had no idea. He examined the thing closely. It appeared to be a feather, but not like Sakura's memory feathers. No, these were distinctly different. These were _Fai's_ feathers. But...they couldn't be memory feathers.

_No, they aren't memory feathers._

It was the voice that had woken him up!

_I am the Phoenix. The one that has cursed the personified phoenix into a powerless sleep._

Kurogane gripped his sword tightly. "Where are you, ya little Bird Brain? I'm going to chop you to bits!"

_I have put this spell upon him so that he may realize his want and need. He can only cross your dreams. You also need to realize yours as well, but my magic only works one person at a time, so the blonde one will have to do. He must realize his want and need through the dependent action of regaining those feathers and giving them to him. Unlike the princess's feathers, these do not contain memories of the past, nor are they scattered from world to world. These feathers that you must retrieve for the blonde are feathers containing small bits of the realization that he must learn. The feathers you will collect for him will only help him understand, they will not fully show him what he should need or want. As for you, you are to realize on your own, for you are the only conscious one that is currently with the blonde right now. _The voice began to fade. _Give him the feather, place it on top of his heart._

Kurogane swore the bird out as the voice faded completely, the grip on the feather tightening ever so slightly. The ninja sighed heavily as he placed the feather upon Fai's chest, watching in earnest, waiting for the reaction to ignite. However, instead of rippling and sinking into the body, the phoenix feather emitted an intense blue color and a crest appeared on the mage's chest. The insignia was an image of an array of similar feathers arranged in a fan-like pattern, feathers curling in and out of each other and overlapping intricately. The feather that was recovered returned to its place on the crest, and sunk into Fai's body. Kurogane felt a sensation prodding his heart, as if it were warming it and holding it close. He slumped against Fai's bed and felt his eyes stare off into space, his mind taking him elsewhere.

_The Recognition._

_What will you discover in the Recognition?_

_What will you realize?_

_Is it time to awaken?_

Fai's heart began to quicken in pace, and his breathing began to grow heavy. Warmth seemed to swamp over him, cracking the cold shell that encased him from awakening. His body felt suspended in a thick liquid, like candle wax, and his eyes were unable to open. He couldn't remember what had happened before, but he knew he was on a journey. He remembered Mokona, Syaoran, Princess Sakura. But his mind focused on the ninja. Kurogane. What happened? Why was he asleep? Why couldn't he wake up? Fai choked on the liquid slightly, then calmed himself before sinking deeper. He could sense something on the surface... What was on the surface? His arm and hand throbbed slightly. What was this pain? What was this warmth in his heart? Suddenly his eyes glazed over, and he heard someone, or something, speak to him through the liquid.

_He has found the first feather to Recognition, Fai. It is time for you to meet him in the next dream. It's time for the first Recognition._

* * *

><p><strong>So that's Fai's past summed up in two chapters! YAY! But the story is not done yet! Fai has about seven more feathers to recover, and you'll soon find out what Recognition is! I'm going to make sure that the characters do not get OOC. I promise you that. I will try my best, I will do my best. Hai! I will do everything in my power to make sure the OOC effect does not plague them! Until next time! AIR HUGS!<strong>

**~KiPanda Cutie**


	5. Chapter 5

**Everyone's here? Okay!**

**It's A/N again! Just wanted to give a shoutout to kawaiijoy101, my wonderful Joy! I'm trying not to spoil too much-since I know that you're watching Tsubasa Chronicle for the first time.**

**My dear Joy, may the Yaoi gods hold your hands and pull you upon the KuroFai YAY train!**

**And a fantastic shoutout to Guest8! Thanks for reviewing!**

**I JUST STARTED READING TSUBASA WORLD CHRONICLE! AND FAI HAS A SHORT PONYTAIL THAT LOOKS SO CUTEEEEEE! Kurogane is just as grumpy as ever. Honestly, it makes me a little frustrated that Sakura isn't on the journey with the boys. I mean like, come on, she can't just sit around in her Clow kingdom forever. It's just not fair! Syaoran is gonna meet new women! He might (probably won't) forget about Sakura! Come on, lady, get a hold of your man!**

** And Mokona, little Mokona is happy as ever!**

**I'm so ecstatic that CLAMP is just starting World Chronicle, and I bet there's a whole bunch of new chapters to come! Although, wouldn't it be just miraculous if CLAMP put in a little Kurofai, just for us?**

**Enough with my rambling! On with the chapter!**

**~Disclaimer: Tsk Tsk. You guys still need a disclaimer? I don't own Tsubasa Chronicle or any of its amazing characters. I own this story, and my fangirl feels. Okaiii?~**

**Question of the Chapter: Would you rather have your soul or body removed from the face of existence? **

**No, the soul and body are NOT the same thing.**

**By the way...**

**...My friends and I watched Big Hero 6 today. I raged three times a minute, and flipped over five imaginary tables at a time. That movie was so beautiful, and it hurts your feelz so bad...**

**...It feels like you've died and have been forced back to life, with your heart inside out and your head on backwards.**

**In other words...WATCH IT!**

* * *

><p><em>Recognition...<em>

_...The place in which you will realize your fate..._

_...Your deepest need..._

_...and your most desperate want._

_You need not to remember..._

_...but to register your desire and purpose._

_For the time being, you have forgotten your past..._

_...The past will not forget you, for you are what makes up the past..._

_...The present welcomes you in its open arms..._

_...only to be consumed by the past, and hope for a brighter future._

* * *

><p><em>"Hn..." The blonde felt the liquid around him separate, as if a pocket of air was forming around him, whisking all of the thick liquid away.<em>

_It was a wonderful feeling, to feel suspended in midair. He felt free, granted release from his gravitational bonds that held him to the earth. Fai felt his thin ponytail dance around his neck, tickling his pale skin without irritating it too much. Fai wanted to open his eye and take a look at the world. His consciousness felt far away, as if the only thing he was aware of was that he was still breathing. He felt his back trying to separate itself down the middle, as if Fai was being torn apart. The pain slowly burned at his spine, peeling away the very tissues and marrow. The burning sensation engulfed him, swallowing his entire back into a thunderstorm of lightening and fire. The mage choked on his breath, and a scream tried to escape his shut mouth._

**_Don't worry. Your soul is just leaving temporarily so it can depart for Recognition. You are not being hurt physically, your soul is exiting your body. Do not panic, relax yourself. Once you are conscious in your soul's form, go up towards the surface. You will be directly transported to Recognition there._**

_The voice reassured Fai, and he let his rigid body loosen. An emptiness weighted over his body, and everything-his senses, his movements, body-they went limp._

_He felt his consciousness poke at him again, and Fai had the sudden urge to open his eye. As he did, with his surprise, light flooded into his vision. How was it that he could open his eye and see? How was it that his consciousness felt whole? Fai gasped as he took a glimpse below him._

_His body was laid in the air pocket, unconscious and frankly without a soul for the time being. Fai looked at his hands, felt his face, and made sure he heard all right. He opened his mouth and noisily exhaled, letting his voice mingle with his short sigh._

_His senses functioned, his eye was open. He floated around the air pocket, letting his soul's body take him upwards. The surface felt real, it felt vivid and bright. Colors danced in his eye, causing him to squint and blink back the white lights that danced behind his line of sight. Fai marveled at the lotus blossoms that danced on the surface of the peculiar liquid he was entrapped in before. Sakura petals rained down from above, but not a cherry blossom tree was in sight. Fai took a step forward, his feet walking upon the water._

**_Souls are weightless, so walking upon surfaces such as liquid is possible. Recognition is a little ways from here. Stand before the sakura tree._**

_Fai nodded in acknowledgement to the voice, searching his surroundings for a sakura tree. Planted on an island not so far away from him stood a bare sakura tree. The branches were gnarled and bent awkwardly, the wonderful beauty that flourished in pink hues no where to be seen. The tree was colored a dark grey, the bark rough on the palm and flaky. Fai, nonetheless, did as he was told. He knelt before the sakura tree, letting his blonde bangs fall into his eyes. He felt the ground below him shiver, rumbling to life._

_Then he was falling._

* * *

><p><em>"So my soul doesn't come with a sword...Great..." Kurogane huffed under his breath and took a look around Recognition.<em>

_The place was basically a square with a gaping hole in the middle. Great. On top of that, Recognition was one of those places filled with dull grays and whites. Everything was bland and colorless, as if no life had ever existed here. Glass pillars protruded in random and strange spots; one of which Kurogane slammed into when he first arrived. The only spectacle that Kurogane thought had an important purpose in the place was a display of curves that hung from the ceiling. There were eight of them, all of the curves looking similar to that of the phoenix feather that he had collected earlier. The feather-like objects reflected rainbows off the walls of Recognition like glass, though they shimmered of magical substance. The feathers had managed to hang directly above the hole that gaped in the center of the place, making it seem as if the feathers were a chandelier._

_Suddenly, a column of light blue light erupted from the corner directly across from Kurogane, and a figure floated to the ground, sprawled on the cold floor. The ninja frowned and crept towards the newcomer, his fists clenched to his sides. He had a feeling that he knew who it was, and he was definitely ready to punch the lights out of that person. The figure stood up slowly, disoriented and confused. As the figure turned around, Kurogane swung a tanned fist._

_And a pale hand grabbed it with just enough force to stop the blow from reaching his blonde head._

_"I don't think you want to do that," the mage's voice in an audible whisper. "You could've hit me, Kurogane. That wouldn't have been good, to hit one of your traveling comrades."_

_Kurogane scoffed. "Tch, like I consider you as a comrade."_

_"Are you saying you hate me?" Fai faked a pout. "Aw, Daddy's so mean!"_

_Daddy rolled his eyes. "No, I'm not saying I hate you. That would've made things easier for you, and we wouldn't be standing here, the both of us, right now."_

_Fai composed himself and lowered his gaze. "...Then are you saying you think of me...more than just a comrade, Kurogane?"_

_"I didn't say that either. Do me a favor and quit jumping to conclusions, will you?" Kurogane glowered at the slightly shorter man._

_The idiot shrugged his shoulders, taking a look around Recognition. His eyes licked over every spot, leaving no piece of Recognition unexposed to his single sapphire orb. The fool seemed to marvel at each bland pillar of glass, each dull tile on the floor, and he even seemed simply amazed with the gigantic hole in the middle of the room. Then, out of the corner of his eye, Kurogane spotted one of the feathers on the ceiling glowing a brilliant blue. It pulsed like a beating heart, and the ninja had yet to find out its effect on the mage._

_Fai seemed to intake sharp breaths to each loud thrum of the feather's "heartbeat," walking unsteadily towards the hole in front of him. His eyes darkened, the bright glint in his eyes fading away with each step. He seemed to be in some kind of trance, an overwhelmingly powerful force taking control of his mind._

_**I have to reach it. The feather...the Phoenix is calling me.**_

_Kurogane tried to reach out for him, sputtering curses in between the mage's name, shaking his arm and trying to drag him back. However, his attempts were futile. The mage was at the very edge of the solid floor, the tips of his toes reaching out to the abyss's darkness._

_Then the idiot decided to jump._

_Fai dropped down into the abyss, the darkness swallowing his slender frame whole. Kurogane ran after him, trying to desperately reach him before his arm was out of range. However, Kurogane did manage to grab a hold of the fool's ponytail, which was a horrible, completely absurd, action. Fai let out a bloodcurdling scream, his shrieks a new sound to Kurogane's ears. He let go immediately, but watched with horror as Fai's blonde hair began to spot with crimson. The action had only caused a small amount of blood to form, luckily, but Kurogane felt his stomach drop in shame. The ninja reached out for Fai once more, missing his body by several inches. The mage continued to fall and fall, the shadows seeming to engulf his form completely._

_Suddenly, the mage had found some way back up, and he was floating in midair. The mage's ends of his thin shirt billowed around him, his ponytail flapping mercilessly in the air. This time, it seemed like the wizard was unconscious, his legs and arms falling limply at his sides and dangling. Fai continued to float up, his forming resting just below the feather-like ornament on the ceiling. His body was now at a vertical position, his head hanging loosely. The first feather on the ceiling continued to glow blue, and the light kissed Fai's skin. His head dropped back, revealing a pale neck. Lying down once more, the feather's light enveloped around Fai, enclosing the wizard in its soft luminescence._

_Kurogane felt his head spin, and his eyes started to roll to the back of his head. **It's time to sleep, for now. Fai is in the process of Recognition.**_

_Little did he know, the process was a painful one._

* * *

><p><em>"Ne...? Where am I?" Fai found himself in a dark, musty location with no windows or doors.<em>

_He crept around the small room, running his hands along the walls and feeling a slippery substance greet his fingers. He rubbed his finger pads together, trying to identify the liquid through the darkness. He sniffed the substance through his nose, inhaling its sharp and **very **familiar scent._

_"This odor...it smells like..."_

_His vampire senses clawed its way to the surface._

_"...Like blood." A black slit narrowed in his iridescent irises._

_But it wasn't just anyone's blood, no._

_"This is Kurogane's blood. I can taste the tang of his blood." The vampire licked his fingers slowly, lapping his tongue around each bloodstained finger. _

_Fai quickened his pace in exploring the room, making sure to step carefully wherever he went. His heightened senses detected a human form somewhere, but the location of his body was hard to find. Fai felt his nails start to elongate as he stepped a little ways away from one of the walls that concealed him, and he used this sign as a compass to locate Kurogane. Fai ran into various walls, and he felt like each step he took was getting farther away from his prey. However, just as soon as he was about to give up, his leg tapped something firm and moist. Fai squinted to adjust his vision, getting a closer look at what he had hit._

_Fai stifled a horrified noise from escaping his parted lips._

_Right before him lay Kurogane, his arm bloody and detached from the rest of him. The grumpy ninja looked unusually broken and his abdomen was bleeding profusely._

_"Fai...Is...Is that you, idiot?" His voice crackled and faded out, his breathing becoming labored._

_"Kuro...Kurogane? Why...why are you...how are you..."_

_Before he could finish, the ninja answered. "You mean...you don't remember...?" Fai shook his head._

_"...You killed me, Fai. Me and Syaoran and the princess."_

_The mage staggered back, his hands upon his lips in terror. "I...I did...what?!"_

_"It's okay...I knew that we would...have to die...someday." The ninja's words were distant, yet his eyes remained settled towards Fai's._

_"But I...I...how...why...?" He kneeled beside Kurogane._

_That's when Fai felt a pang of warmth flood his heart. A crack was made into his icy core, letting heat and emotion leak in. As Fai stared into Kurogane's eyes, he could feel a strange shiver running down his spine._

_Fai curled up on the floor, his legs hugged to his chest. "I will find a way to change this fate. I will not let you die, Kurogane. Not you, or Syaoran, or Sakura. I will not let you all disappear because of my hands."_

_Kurogane clamped a hand down on Fai's, and a strong burst of warmth entered the mage's arteries, coursing up his veins. "This is the future, Fai. How can you change the future? This is an irreversible turn of events. One of us will have to die someday." The ninja's voice sounded unusually gentle._

_Fai tightened his grip on Kurogane's hand upon instinct. "Then I will make sure that none of you die. I will sacrifice myself."_

_Kurogane shook his head warily. "You don't understand. If you sacrifice yourself...I...I will die..."_

_"Why? It isn't you that will perish."_

_"...I will die from the grief. Have...you seen my past?"_

_The mage felt his grip loosen on Kurogane's hand. "No. I have not."_

_The library world had been an unusual place. It was Syaoran that had discovered the ninja's past from the enchanted book, not he. So Fai had no idea what Kurogane had faced in his youth. Kurogane closed his eyes, desperately focused. A sharp jolt of heat pierced the mage's mind, sending his consciousness into the shadows._

_Fai saw small flashes and glimpses of the young Kurogane and his hardships, but nevertheless, he saw mostly everything. Kurogane had been a happy boy once, before his mother was murdered by the hands of an unknown swordsman, and his father destroyed at the hands of a demon. That was when the ninja had grown up too quickly, obliterating a whole army of monsters and demonic creatures by himself. Fai could see something glimmer in Kurogane's eyes. The ninja had been crying, rage was his source of power and his great strength back then._

_When Fai returned to his consciousness, Kurogane still had his eyes closed, his tan skin taking a more papery texture. Showing one's past must take ounces of energy, and the ninja needed much rest._

_Fai lowered his gaze. "I wonder if you'll understand soon...Before this moment arrives, Kurogane. You're very close to discovering me out, and I'm far too deep in sleep to fight back. I must make sure you don't find out anything else, for that would bring us closer to this fate, to the fate that rips us and the children apart."_

_The sticky substance of blood began to form a small pool at Fai's feet, and the mage returned from his previous thoughts. "Kurogane...?"_

_The ninja's lips were were covered in blood, his mouth releasing the substance from his throat. Though congealed, the crimson liquid still dribbled from his chin. Fai shook Kurogane quickly, his mind started to whirl as Kurogane didn't respond._

_"This isn't funny, Kurogane." He flashed one of his fake smiles at the ninja._

_The wizard checked his heartbeat, pressing his ear to the taller man's broad chest. He frowned._

_"I'm serious. Stop fooling around."_

_The ninja's eyes refused to look at Fai, his body going slack. Fai felt a whimper crawl up his throat, and he continued shaking him. Fai felt fear clutch his heart and push its blade-like nails into his chest. This dream was beginning to feel like reality to the mage, the barrier that separated the dream from reality becoming worn and tattered. Fai pushed his hands down on Kurogane's chest, trying to manually get a breath out of the ninja. Anything. Upon hearing nothing, Fai pressed down harder, desperately trying to ignore the steady river of blood that was trickling down Kurogane's jawline. The mage felt his vampire senses trying to overwhelm him, the tart and metallic scent of blood setting flame to his nostrils and making his throat go dry. Fai choked the urge down, pushing harder on Kurogane's chest._

_"Please, Kurogane. I'm begging you. Please!"_

_Fai's fingernails elongated instantly without his consent, the claws shoving into the ninja's shoulder muscles, right above his chest. The mage screamed as blood splashed his face, body, and arms, coating them in the body fluid. His vampire instinct took over, lapping at the blood on his face. Tears ran down Fai's face and he knew that Kurogane was dead. The amount of blood lost was much too great to bear, even for the ninja. Fai wiped at the blood with his already-bloody hands, smearing crimson across his cheeks and chin. He stumbled back from the taller man, curling up into a fetal position. His eye returned to normal, but a traumatized glint unfocused his eyes._

_"K-Kuro...Kurogane..." He whispered, his eyes moving erratically and his body becoming stiff._

_The ninja's eyes were still open, his crimson orbs glassy and fogged. Fai did the mistake of looking into the ninja's still eyes, and the sharp realization of death mutilated his last hope. Fai screamed, his hands pressing against his ears tightly, trying to block out the physical truth of death._

_**You mean you don't remember?**  
><em>

_**You killed me, Fai.**_

_**You killed me, Syaoran, and Sakura.**_

_**You killed us all.**_

_The ninja's dying words rang in his ears like broken bells and shattered glass. Was this the present? The future? The past? He couldn't tell anymore, he didn't know anymore. Was this a dream? Or was this reality? It felt too real to be true. His voice grew hoarse, but he continued to scream and yell._

_"KUROGANE!" Tears ran down his face, sticking to his bangs and clumping them together._

_The feeling of losing someone...it's too much to bear. Fai grabbed at his chest, clutching at the fabric of his tunic with deadly strength. His nails ripped through the fabric, miraculously avoiding any cream skin under it. He squinted his eyes shut and his screams grew in volume. A dozen flashes blinded his senses, images clouding his brain like sticky fog. A pair of twins...One in a tower...one down below...a ladder of dead bodies...blonde hair...the falling child...Fai's screaming stopped, too horrified to speak anymore._

_"This is...my past."_

_Suddenly, a horrible blaring sound unfocused him, and the images faltered. However, as they recovered, Fai could see a small splotch of crimson and black interfere with the images. A low growling sound that sounded very familiar...a small glimpse of tan fingers..._

_Kurogane had seen._

_He had seen and witnessed his past._

_He knew now._

_Fai uncovered his ears, a pained expression contorting his features. He knelt over Kurogane once more, forcing himself to stare into the open red irises. Fai lowered his gaze and pressed the ninja's eyelids down with his fingers._

_"Rest now."_

_Fai placed his hand over Kurogane's now-closed eyes, looking at the floor, a new river of tears streaking down his face._

**_You have now realized your fear. You are afraid of hurting and killing him. But how do you know that this fate cannot change?_**

_Fai felt the walls crumbling around him, and Kurogane had disappeared. __"I know...because fate is unchangeable. No matter how hard we try."_

**_Well then...It would be most beneficial to spend the most time with this ninja to ensure that he is happy before he dies._**

_Fai thought for a moment. "But I'm going to lose him anyway. If I break this bond between us, I can make sure that nothing hurts him._

**_How is that?_**

_"Because misfortune is directed to me. It holds a place in me. If the he stays as far away as possible from this misfortune, I can be sure that he doesn't get hurt."_

_The voice thought for a moment. **This bond that you share...You can't ever break it. So there's no use in trying so hard. Even with the time of a millennium, you can't and wont' be able to fully shatter the bond you both share.****  
><strong>_

_Fai knew that there was no point in arguing with the voice, knowing that it was right. "Very well."_

_Before he lost consciousness, he felt the edges of his lips curve slightly. "It's going to be interesting."_

* * *

><p><em>The idiot's body had been floating up near that feather thing for almost a half hour. Kurogane beginning to tire the silence that had washed over the place. Once or twice Kurogane thought that the mage had been calling his name. Now, the mage's eyes were full of tears, a single drop falling into the great abyss. The light was starting to fade, and Kurogane knew that the mage was going to fall helplessly into the hole again. Not that he would care. Kurogane didn't care about that fool. Not at all.<em>

_'But what about that time when you caught him in your arms?'_

_"That wasn't anything. I just wanted him to live so I could punch his face when he woke up." Kurogane argued with his inner voice._

_'What about your kind and caring words to him?'_

_"What are you talking about?! I only wished that his arm didn't turn purple and swell to the size of his air-filled head!"_

_'See? There's got to be something there. There has to be some kind of bond, whether you like it or not.'_

_Kurogane was tiring of his inner voice. "Whatever. Shut up before I blow my brains out."_

_The voice silenced._

_The light was nearly gone now, and the mage had just began to descend. His body touched the surface of the ground, thankfully not landing into the abyss. Kurogane nudged Fai's unconscious body with his foot, his frown deepening._

_"Oi."_

_Fai's eyes flickered open, his now dry tears leaving trails of salt down his face. He looked fragile and angelic, as if he had regained some of the innocence he had lost in Tokyo. "Kuro-tan? Is that really you?"_

_Kurogane rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever. It's me." He tried not to smile at the use of an old nickname._

_Fai smiled. It wasn't a full and bright smile, but one of relief. "So it was a dream after all."_

_"What the hell are you rambling about?"_

_The wizard's smile grew. "Kuro-pii still uses his bad language."_

_"You're still using the damn nicknames."_

_Fai pouted. "Does Daddy not like it? Mommy can stop if Daddy says to stop."_

_Kurogane growled. "I didn't say that I didn't like them. Use them, I don't care. I'll just ignore you."_

_"Okay, Kuro-sama!"_

_Kurogane felt a small smile try to force its way in between his frown. It had been so long since Fai had last used that particular nickname. He had to admit though, the nicknames were growing on him._

_Before he knew it, Recognition began to shatter and crumble before him, black dots spotting his vision. Fai smiled at him before fading away, a small wave directed at him._

_"Till the next feather, Kuro-puu."_

* * *

><p><strong>And that's the end of the very long chapter! LALALLALAA! This chapter too R!<strong>

**That little dream thing that Fai had? Yeah, that was the fate that our favorite time and dimension travelers were going to face in Infinity if Sakura didn't sacrifice herself and stuff. She changed the future, and because of that, nobody else died. So kudos to Sakura, but right now, Fai still thinks that he's going to kill everyone and stuffs. WAHOOOOO! Thanks a bunches! AIR HUGS AIR HUGS!**

**~KiPanda Cutie**


	6. Chapter 6

**I wish you all good greetings this last week of school before Thanksgiving everyone! (If you celebrate Thanksgiving, of course.) Now, first things first. Last chapter was confusing. Let me sum it up!**

_**Previously, on KiPanda's Last Chapter that Didn't Make Any Sense At All:**_

**Fai had a memory realization about his fate. Apparently, Fai had killed Sakura (who is basically useless. No one cares about what she did in Tokyo. Come on, we all know it), Syaoran, and Kurogane. (What happened to Mokona during all this? No one knows. If Fai killed the fluffy ball of fuzz, I'm going to punch this keyboard.) Basically, the feather he retrieved warned him that if he continues to push Kurogane and the others away, mostly Kurogane, he's going to kill everyone he loves and cares about, and trusts. Blah blah blah, Fai calls Kurogane his stupidly awesome nicknames, yaddah yaddah yaddah, Kurogane wakes up, Fai goes back to his body to sleep and what not, blah blah blah...**

**...And we're all caught up!**

**This chapter, Kurogane is going to find the next feather! Or at least quest for it! YAYYYY ADVENTURE!**

**Wait for the fluff guys. You won't be disappointed.**

**Kurogane is a sake stain. That is all.**

**~Disclaimer: I'm tired of disclaimers. I don't own Tsubasa Chronicle, or any of the godly hot characters in it. CLAMP was in charge of everything concerning this manga, and how they make everything make sense...No one knows.~**

**Question of the Chapter: Do you think the journey would've been more difficult if Kurogane or Fai had lost their feathers, instead of Sakura?**

* * *

><p><em>If you force your thread to thin and wear out, that curse is sure to ensue.<em>

_If you go along to what fate has written, you will kill him._

_Was this fate originally laid this way? Or was this path forced upon by the hands of another?_

_Nevertheless, you must go on._

_Time does not stop for your wings to take flight..._

_...And Recognition waits for no one._

_The sakura tremble with the shadow of your presence..._

_...Could awakening be close for you?_

* * *

><p><em>Fai felt his soul reenter his body, and his back dully burned from the earlier events. He took this time to take one last glimpse around him, before sleep overcame him. The liquid was definitely not water, and he was too far deep in the substance to reach towards the surface. The air pocket around him dissipated, and the liquid flooded around him, making respiring impossible. His eye started to close, and his lips curved upward in a slight smile as the last of the air was whisked away.<em>

_'This body that I'm in right now... It isn't my actual body. Could this be my inner conscience? Is my actual body in good care right now?' He grinned at the thought of Kurogane. 'I hope Black Puppy is taking good care of me.'_

_He felt himself sink deeper into the liquid, and his limbs floated limply with the water._

* * *

><p>Kurogane awoke feeling someone's hand on his head.<p>

"Get your hand off my face, you stupid mage!" He yelled, flailing wildly before opening his eyes and recomposing himself.

The hand was quickly removed, followed by a quick nuzzling from Mokona. "Kurgy's awake! Kurgy's awake!"

It turns out that it wasn't Fai's hand that had placed itself upon the ninja's forehead.

"Sorry Kurogane, I didn't mean to wake you." Syaoran apologized quickly, looking up at the red-eyed man with a polite look on his visage.

The ninja grunted. "It's no problem at all. Just don't do it again." He looked away from the brown eyed child, feeling all of the tension melt from his eyes. "Thought it was the mage."

Syaoran took a small glance at Fai. "I was just going to ask about him. What happened to him, anyway? He's been asleep for a while now. When I was looking through my other self's eye, it seemed like Fai was always the first one up."

Kurogane frowned at the mage. "He's probably just more exhausted than usual," which wasn't a complete lie, but Syaoran knew that the ninja was lying. "Just let him be for the day. He's still new to the whole 'vampire' and one-eyed crap anyway, so let him rest."

The kid nodded. "Yeah." He took a look at the sleeping princess at his side. "We tried to look for the feather yesterday, but we couldn't find it anywhere. The only thing remotely close to Sakura's memory feathers were the feathers that those birds that Mokona mentioned yesterday dropped."

Mokona popped into the conversation. "We should look today too, Syaoran! Mokona knows that the feather is somewhere! Mokona feels the presence!"

Syaoran scrunched his eyebrows up into a small frown. "I guess we'll start searching again. I'll leave the Sakura in your hands, Kurogane, if that's alright with you."

Kurogane shrugged. "As long as the stupid manjuu bun is away, I don't care about babysitting."

Syaoran smiled and took his belongings. "Okay, then I'm off! I'll see you all soon." He took one last look at the princess before leaving, the small smile still etched on his face as he left with the cream puff.

Kurogane huffed. "Taking care of the princess, I can handle. But taking care of the sleeping idiot? I'd rather face that damn phoenix."

The ninja huffed and adjusted his position on the floor. He crossed his legs and stared at the wall, not bothering to take a glance at the sleeping princess and mage.

* * *

><p><em>Where am I?<em>

_This liquid...it's so thick...I can't...keep my eyes open..._

_Who is that figure in the darkness...?_

_What is on the surface?_

_Why is that figure so familiar?_

_Auburn hair danced in the depths of the liquid, just below the surface, a pale hand reaching out towards the figure in the darkness._

* * *

><p>Kurogane draped his cloak around himself and took one last glimpse at the sleeping pair before slipping out the door. "Stupid fool," he grumbled as his eyes left the mage's sleeping pair of sapphire orbs.<p>

He wandered around town, searching shops and rooftops and anywhere he could for one of Fai's feathers. The sooner they got this over with, the faster they could get out of this stupid world. The country's people surprisingly had good relations with the phoenixes that flew around. Tail feathers of wild and mesmerizing colors swirled around the friendly atmosphere, children smiling and stroking the grandiose wings of the magnificent creatures. Everywhere he searched, he wouldn't find any feather that looked close to Fai's. However, what he did find interesting was that outside every building he would find a sculpture of a phoenix with its wings outstretched, its pose seeming free and full of graceful poise. However, upon closer inspection, the sculpture's face had no eyes, or rather, its irises and pupils weren't shown.

The sculpture was depicting the Phoenix that had started this whole mess in the first place!

"Stupid goddamned Phoenix. Why's it fooling around with us in the first place?" He grumbled, glaring at the turquoise carved Phoenix.

A child happened to scamper over that moment, his mother's hand closed tightly around the child's own. "Hey, Mister! I heard you talking about the special Phoenix!"

Kurogane blanched. "Wh-What? I don't know what you're talking about kid. Just leave me alone." He desperately hoped that the child hadn't heard him cussing at the statue, that would be rather insulting and strange.

"You heard me, Mister! You were talking about Jitsugen, our country's special bird!" The child pointed at the statue, a persistent expression upon his face.

You would think that the parents of this country would warn their children about talking to strangers.

The mother of the child patted his head. "Now now, Nikko, You know that it's rude to point." The child pouted, but quickly recomposed himself. "I'm sorry for my son's rudeness, but I couldn't help but notice that you were observing our Jitsugen statues so intensely." She giggled. "You're not from around here, are you?"

Kurogane shook his head and shuffled away from the kid, who was reaching his hand out to try and clutch the dark cloth of his cloak.

"My name is Tsukia, but you can call me Tsuki. I am a priestess here in this country, where I follow out the orders of our god. May I ask for your name?" She smiled and tilted her head to the side.

The ninja hesitated before giving his name, but complied to answer. "Kurogane. It's just Kurogane."

"Really? Can I call you Kuro-ko?" The child was beginning to poke at the nerve that the sleeping idiot would constantly tamper with.

Kurogane's eye twitched. "No." He forced the growl of his voice back down, letting a passive tone seep into his low voice.

"Settle down, Nikko." She ushered the young boy off towards another direction. "Now that my child is gone, we can talk privately. I was told of your presence by our Ethereal Phoenix, Jitsugen. Do you know of his legend?"

"Jitsugen..." He thought for a moment. "As in...?"

Nikko's mother placed a hand on the statue's head. "As in Realization. That's precisely what our Phoenix's name means. Our country's patron god is Jitsugen, and we worship him with our heart, mind, body, and soul: The four main components of stability and eternal peace. Jitsugen is the Phoenix of Realization, as his name implies, and he symbolizes the people's true needs and wants. Now, Jitsugen is our country's main god. However, there is one other Phoenix that also plays a role in our country's history. That Phoenix god is Karamaru, the Phoenix of Entwined Fates. He is most depicted as a phoenix with white feathers and crimson threads plaited with his wings. Karamaru also has a single violet eye, representing the one path that a person's fate follows. He used to have two eyes, as did Jitsugen. Jitsugen is a Phoenix with blue feathers, and his eyes are clamped shut. He possesses the power of the Circle, and he helps humans realize their needs and wants, whether they are interconnected or not."

Kurogane frowned. "So what's this legend about anyway?"

Tsukia laughed. "Eager to know, are we? Well, Jitsugen and Karamaru were the great Phoenixes. Out of all phoenixes in our country, these select two were the most powerful and wielded the most magic. They were said to be able to morph between human and bird form, so long as the magic in their eyes weren't damaged or frayed. Similarly, Jitsugen and Karamaru were said to have human feelings, to be more human than bird in emotional terms. When God first created this place, he used his power to grow a border of enchanted snowbell trees around our country. Long ago, the two birds gave wisdom and enlightenment to our people, for the first people that had arrived to our country were confused and stuck on which crossroad they were supposed to walk upon. Jitsugen provided the people with the understanding of their needs and desires, while Karamaru showed the people their many crossroads and the many futures and paths to cross. Karamaru and Jitsugen did their duty with care and love for our people, and our people grew to love and care for them back. However, when the people didn't need their service, Karamaru and Jitsugen spent time in Shizukesa Forest. As the name implies, this forest was peaceful and quiet. Jitsugen and Karamaru were created with the emotions of humans, and as they grew to love our people, they grew to love each other."

Kurogane's frown lingered for a moment. "Wait a second...Jitsugen and Karamaru are both-"

As if knowing what the ninja was going to say, Tsukia smiled. "-They are both male. Yes. However, some of the priests that I work with force themselves to believe that Karamaru and Jitsugen were both female, as they both possess very feminine stature and grace to their body pose. However, that is not the case. After speaking with them, I know that they are both male, and I know that they were both in love."

Kurogane asked the lady to continue with telling of the legend.

"Jitsugen and Karamaru longed for the day when our people wouldn't need to rely on them anymore. They knew that when this happened, they could finally be together and separate from the human world and fly up into the heavens. However, they continued to help them, sharing with them the wisdom of mankind. As a gift of gratitude, the humans named a certain day of the year after them, calling it Karanda hoo no hi, or Day of the Entwined Phoenixes. They specifically chose this day to celebrate this new holiday because in the morning, the sun would rise and merge its rays with the clouds of many colors, and in the night, the feathers that the lesser phoenixes shed would fall to the ground in synchronization with the falling petals of the snowbell trees that bloom here. On this day, the Phoenixes would arrive, using their magic to strengthen the border of snowbell trees that erected a powerful shield around us to prevent anomalies from penetrating into our country.

However, on the eighth time celebrating the holiday, a powerful and strong force broke through the shield and obliterated it. The powerful force is somewhere in the country, but our people don't know exactly where it is hidden. From that they forward, our people have prayed and are waiting for the Phoenixes to recreate the shield and purify the force that tampers with our country.

No matter how hard we prayed, or how much we believed, the two Phoenixes did not show up. Karamaru and Jitsugen won't show their faces to just anyone. Their eyes, which were originally open and in pairs, were damaged when the shield broke through. To help sustain us, Karamaru gave up one of his eyes, the eye that signified his and Jitsugen's fate. Jitsugen had his eyes sewn shut with his own string of fate to sustain us as well, not only taking away his ability to see, but also his ability to use magic whenever he liked, since his magic was stored in his eyes. So, even with all of our praying and offerings, the Phoenixes would need to have their magical abilities restored to reform the protection surrounding the country. To make things even more difficult, Karamaru and Jitsugen have to be working together to restore the shield."

Kurogane raised an eyebrow. "That's it? You mean, it's now virtually impossible to have Karamaru and Jitsugen to restore the shield? And what is this dark force? How do we destroy it?"

Tsukia looked away. "Well, right before Jitsugen had sewn his eyes shut completely, he used some of his magic to create a place called Ninshiki, or Recognition. This isn't a physical place, no, but a place in the mind of those he touches. Karamaru told him that one day, there would be a group of travelers that would enter here from another dimension. They would be tired and worn, severely damaged in both the mind and body, and there would be two specific travelers that were confused and needing enlightenment. Jitsugen made Recognition so that these particular two travelers would find refuge and realize their own entwined desires and needs, for these two travelers would be key in restoring the precious protection that this country needed. With that, Karamaru hid into a secretive part of the Shizukesa Forest, where the humans of this world would never find him. Jitsugen sought to protect Karamaru, guarding this piece of forest with every ounce of strength he had. To this day forward, Karamaru is still in hiding, and our people still pray for this powerful force to perish."

The ninja leaned against a wall. "Group of travelers, eh? Well, it just so happens that a group of travelers from another dimension showed up yesterday..."

"Really? Then...that means...Karamaru's prediction...it was right?"

Kurogane nodded. "And also...one of those travelers is me."

* * *

><p><em>Who...who is this...?<em>

_My arms and legs...I can't seem to move..._

_I'm sinking..._

_...I'm sinking deeper..._

_I can almost make out the figure in the darkness..._

_...I'll have to abandon the surface..._

_...But that's just what I'm going to have to do._

_A pair of pale hands slowly and exhaustedly claw through the liquid, sinking further into the shadowy darkness._

* * *

><p>The ninja didn't want to invite Tsukia to dinner. It just sorta...happened. Thank Kami that she left her little brat of a son at home. Kurogane tried to pinpoint when exactly this whole idea came to exist.<p>

-Two Hours Ago-

"I would like to ask you a favor, Kurogane, if that's all right with you." Tsukia's lips tightened into a determined thin line.

Kurogane winced, but bit back a refusal. "Sure. I've got time." He knew better than to disrespect a lady, especially if it was a priestess like Princess Tomoyo.

"I would really appreciate it if I could attend dinner with you and your group of travelers. There's something that I would like you all to know about."

The ninja shrugged. "I don't care. It would be a nice change from eating bland rice porridge everyday."

Tsukia's face relaxed. "Thank you! I'll be at your place soon."

Kurogane handed the woman the apartment's address, written on a piece of napkin, and stalked off to continue his search for the mage's feather.

-Current Time-

Unfortunately, his search didn't go as planned. As soon as his foot touched the entrance of Shizukesa Forest, that goddamned voice popped back into his head with a happy memo.

_If you enter this forest, your quest will be put to a halt. Permanently._

Kurogane sighed. Honestly, that stupid bird was the reason why he was searching for Fai's feathers in the first place! The opening and closing of the apartment door was his wake up call back to reality.

"Hello? Kurogane? Fai? I'm home." Syaoran's voice echoed through the hallways, with the annoying cream puff's squeaks as loud as nails on a chalkboard.

As soon as the kid walked in, his eyes widened. "Who's this, Kurogane?"

The ninja's passive expression didn't twitch. "Her name is Tsukia. She knows something that might help us find the princess's feather."

Syaoran smiled and shook Tsukia's hand. "It's nice to meet you, Tsukia. My name is Syaoran, and this here-" He ruffled Mokona's ears, "-is Mokona."

The cream puff decided to pipe in. "That blonde guy sleeping over there is Fai-" It pointed to the sleeping fool, "-And that girl over there is Sakura!" The manjuu waggled his paw at the sleeping princess.

Tsukia smiled and bowed slightly. "It's so nice to meet you all!"

Mokona hopped on the woman's shoulders. "It's very nice to meet you too! Mokona welcomes you into our lovely, lovely home!" The puff ball's stomach growled. "Oh! Mokona's hungry, hungry, hungry! Mokona wants something to eat, eat, eat!"

"You're always hungry, manjuu." Kurogane huffed, and went to retrieve the food that Tsukia brought over.

The rich scent of soba and nikujaga filled the room, ensuring that all mouths were salivating and ready to eat. Instantly, Mokona uncovered the table cloth that had been secreting the dish, and the cream puff took the dish from the ninja's hands. Kurogane.

"HEY! CAN'T YOU WAIT ONE SECOND, MANJUU?!"

Mokona giggled and shook its head, obviously bemused by the ninja's sudden outburst. It placed the dish on the table and ushered the others to follow. "Come on! Come on! You guys are slower than a sleeping Kurgy!"

"THAT DOESN'T EVEN MAKE ANY SENSE, STUPID CREAM PUFF!"

The others laughed, and the any foreign traces of tension were soon erased from the atmosphere. Everyone sat down and ate, relishing in the meal's heavy flavor and the cheery warmth of togetherness.

Tsukia was the first one to slice into the bubble of warmth. "I have something very important to discuss with all of you, considering the feathers you need to obtain."

Syaoran flinched upon the word 'feathers,' a silent narrowing of eyes his only motion to let her continue.

"The one feather that you need to save your princess requires more than just a simple journeying in this world. Kurogane should already understand what's happening."

Syaoran's shocked gaze immediately flew to Kurogane, a questioning look dancing in his eyes. "Kurogane-san...?"

Kurogane grumbled under his breath a bit before explaining. "Look kid, the first time you were looking for the girl's feathers in this world, the stupid idiot and I ran into a phoenix that was apparently a god. The mage confronted the phoenix and the bird cast a spell on him. Fai's under a sleeping spell, one that can only be broken when I find all of his feathers. Only till then, only then can we retrieve the princess's feather."

The kid was trying to comprehend the news he was given. "I...I see... Then does that mean...until you can retrieve the rest of the feathers, we won't be able to get Sakura's feather?"

"Not only that, but we don't even know where Fai's next feather is." Kurogane piped up, sending a death glare towards the unconscious mage.

Tsukia, who had been silent up until now, chose this time to speak up. "I may have a slight idea..."

Kurogane raised an eyebrow, obviously interested in what she had to say.

"...Well you see, Jitsugen-" Kurogane silently explained to Syaoran the legend of the Phoenixes, "-has told me through dreams that the only way you can retrieve the feathers is by visiting this young man-" She pointed towards Fai, "-in his dreams."

Kurogane scoffed. This was stupid. It was cliche, and it reminded him of one of those sappy fairy tales that his mother used to read to him during the night. "Ridiculous," he grumbled.

Syaoran chuckled. "Well, if it's to help Fai and Sakura, I really don't mind fetching for these feathers, right Kurogane?"

The kid didn't understand the utter cheesiness in what the woman was trying to imply! Visiting the bastard in his dreams? That was just plain strange!

"Kid, I really don't think you-"

"Don't be silly! Syaoran here seems like a good hardworking boy!" Tsukia's lowered her visage. "However, I'm afraid that Kurogane is the only one that can search for Fai's remaining feathers."

The woman had taken the words right out of Kurogane's mouth. Syaoran nodded, understanding the terms in which would be followed if the group was going to obtain any more of Sakura's feathers. "I see. I'll do my best to help in any way I can."

Tsukia then took the time to explain to the kid anything else that Kurogane had forgotten. As the time passed, Kurogane found himself stealing more than just a simple glance at the unconscious wizard. Everything felt so strange and empty without the mage's aloof and goofy persona. Was this how the kid felt when he was taking care of his sleeping cherry blossom?

A few hours later, Tsukia had left their accommodation and hoped for one of Fai's feathers to be found. 'I'm sure you'll find it soon. It's closer than you expect it to be,' she had said before heading out the door.

Syaoran saved a plate of soba and nikujaga for the princess, not wanting her to wake up hungry with nothing to eat but rice porridge. Kurogane had eaten two servings, an unusually small amount for a tall and lean man like him. The ninja was severely questioning whether he should leave leftovers for the mage or let the cream puff eat the rest. He internally grinned at the thought of leaving the mage no food. That would be payback for getting himself stabbed through the hand by a stupid bird he chose to go after. Kurogane blinked. He completely forgot about the mage's hand. The ninja stalked over to the mage's bedside and grabbed a rough hold of his hand. The injury was beginning to form grotesque splotches and and strange ooze began to leak out of the wound.

Or at least, that's what Kurogane thought he would see.

When the ninja took a look at Fai's hand, he saw that the wound was now closed, any traces of injury gone except for a rather large and conspicuous marking. A feather symbol the color of his veins and the size of Kurogane's thumb had imprinted itself on his skin.

"Another one of those stupid reminders..." Kurogane mumbled.

Whenever he found another feather, he assumed, the stupid not-birthmark would bloom another vein-colored feather on the mage's hand. 'This is utterly stupid,' Kurogane thought to himself.

* * *

><p><em>'My hand is starting to become uncomfortable,' Fai thought to himself. 'And I'm starting to feel tired...'<em>

_The liquid around him seemed to heat up, or maybe it was just him. Nonetheless, an incredible heat started to hover upon him. He felt a presence somewhere, he didn't know where, but it was in here. In this dream._

_'Who...is that...?' He struggled to open his eyes, but once again, his attempts were futile (as they had been ever since he'd been stuck in this place)._

_All of his thoughts were left to waste away when he felt a rush of adrenaline shoot up his spine, tingling his every nerve. A heavy sensation of falling hit him hard, and he tried to scream through his clamped mouth. What had happened? This new depth of liquid...it felt foreign. Then, the realization hit him._

_He was sinking deeper._

_Something was wrong. Something was very wrong back in his body._

* * *

><p>Kurogane placed the mage's hand back onto the mattress, still contemplating whether or not he should leave leftovers for the moron. However, just as he was about to holler for the cream puff to finish up the rest of the food, he heard the idiot inhale audibly. Kurogane's gaze fell upon the sleeping mage, and to his surprise, a light sheen of sweat caressed the fool's face. The ninja felt Fai's forehead with the palm of his hand. Immediately, a wave of burning heat forced him to jerk his hand away.<p>

'The idiot's got a fever... We don't have any medicine, so how are we going to treat him? He's sleeping as well, so this complicates things even more...'

Fai inhaled another huge gulp of oxygen, a drop of sweat dripping onto the sheets that were pulled up to his collarbone. The ninja retrieved some ice from a machine thing apparently called a freezer, and placed it upon the blonde's burning forehead. Kurogane sighed; it seemed like he was beginning to become some sort of girly housewife! He wasn't a girl! He was a strong samurai! Samurais didn't care for lazy mages! They took care of themselves!

So why did Kurogane have the sudden urge to care for the mage...?

"Whatever... I just don't want him to fall over and die, that's all..." Kurogane said to himself.

Somehow, a small part of himself told him that there was something else...Something more...

But Kurogane whisked the thought away and went to retrieve another handful of ice.

* * *

><p><strong>Welcome back! Did you like the chapter? Reviews are much appreciated! Please feel free to suggest anything, and I will try to answer things the best I can!<strong>

**x_x This chapter took a long time to write. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! AIR HUGS!**

**~KiPanda Cutie**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7...Didn't I say I was going to make this fiction only five chapters?**

**I lied!**

**XD I'm going to take as much writing space as need to finish this story, and all of your help is well appreciated!**

**ALERT ALERT!**

**SECOND RECOGNITION IS COMING UP! BE WARNED! SECOND RECOGNITION IS NEARING SOON!**

**I guess that's when the real fluff begins...mehehehehehehahhahahahahaahhah!**

**I'm still trying to pinpoint when I became obsessed with this anime...I don't really remember exactly~!**

**-*-*-BTW: In this chapter, I made bold and italicized marks all weird on purpose, so make sure you read this before reading the chapter!-*-*-**

**Question of the Chapter: What is your opinion on our Great Phoenixes so far? Whose side are they on? What would you do if you were in Fai or Kurogane's situation?**

* * *

><p><strong><em>Tell me...<em>**

**_...D_**_o_**_ y_**_ou e_**_njo_**_y the_**_ rush?_**

**_The _**_rapid unstea_**_dy flutter of a heartbe_**_at w_**_hen thrill enr_**_apture_**_s the f_**_le_**_sh..._**

**_...A_**_d_**_rena_**_line c_**_aused by d_**_a_**_nger..._**

**_...Ex_**_cite_**_ment..._**

**_...F_**_ea_**_r..._**

**_...Let me _**_bring some acti_**_on to this boring and still water you're immersed in..._**

**_..._**_L_**_et _**_m_**_e b_**_r_**_ing_**_ som_**_e..._**

**_...Fun._**

**_No, no! I'm not going to add trouble to your already heavy burden._**

**_I'm going to...intensify what's already here..._**

**_...Let's have some fun, shall we...?_**

**_I'll make sure that you're asleep for a very long time now. I'll make sure that he won't get all of those feathers in time..._**

**_...So I can show you all my tricks forever._**

* * *

><p><em>Something foreign is poisoning the liquid depths...<em>

_...From this point, this toxic will try to erode the efforts that Recognition has made..._

_...You must fight back._

_You must resist its dark hand._

_Don't succumb..._

_...Don't sink..._

_...For the sake of the ones you care for most._

_The sakura are starting to wilt, it won't be long until your hopes of awakening are thoroughly smashed._

* * *

><p><em>A fragile hand reached for the figure in the shadowy depths of the liquid.<em>

_'I need to find out who's down there.'_

_Green eyes started to droop for a moment. 'It won't be long until I am forced to shut my eyes again...I must hurry.'_

_As pale hands swiped the cloudy darkness away, the figure in the shadows became more solid and started to resemble someone distinctly familiar._

**_Don't come any closer._**

_'What...?! How can I hear you in my head...? You're not really talking to me!'_

**_You're not the one that is to be contained in this liquid. He is. Turn back. Go back to the surface, or else you will be affected as well._**

_'I don't know who you're talking about! What's happening? Why does he look familiar? Why are we immersed in this liquid? How did I find myself here in the first place?'_

**_I cannot answer these questions. You are able to cross into other people's dreams. This figure...This man's body is not his actual body. It is merely his soul's. He is to sleep down here unless someone retrieves his feathers._**

_Emerald orbs widened. 'Wait...Like...my feathers? I still don't understand what's happening here! What's going on? Who is that down there?'_

_As if the voice had control of the liquid, it separated and revealed a young man dressed in thin clothing. A blonde ponytail danced in the air, and an eye patch covered his-_

_'FAI!' She screamed in her head, the words trying to escape her clamped lips._

_The water closed upon him again, and she was sent above the surface._

**_Awaken now, princess. Those whom you care about are waiting._**

* * *

><p>"Princess? You awake?" Syaoran sat on Sakura's bedside, his hand on hers.<p>

Kurogane was attending to Fai's fever, the temperature decreasing slightly, but not enough. Ice was piled in a bucket and packed in bags. Kurogane was complaining for the fifth time that morning how bothersome that 'stupid idiot mage' was under his breath.

Lush green eyes fluttered open to warm chocolate brown. "What...Where...am I?"

"You're back in the room we rented for the time being. You were out cold for quite a while there, Princess."

Sakura turned her gaze to her hands, unable to meet Syaoran's eyes. "Oh."

Before the kid could continue the conversation, the ninja dropped the half empty bucket of ice. "Kid...get Tsukia here. Now." His voice was dangerously soft, and threatening to boil over.

Syaoran gave Kurogane a questioning gaze, but a shocked expression soon followed after when Syaoran discovered the source of Kurogane's dangerous calm. The sleeping wizard's hand had found itself tangled around the sheets, trembling violently. Choking sounds gurgled from Fai's throat, heavy waves of heat swamping over him. Kurogane arranged ice all around the mage's sheets, stuffing the frozen water in the pillow and next to Fai's body.

The kid nodded and dragged Mokona and Sakura out of the apartment.

* * *

><p><em>A large burst of heat warmed the liquid around Fai, the high temperature gradually taking the oxygen out of Fai's lungs. The heat was unbearable, creeping into his windpipe and suffocating his lungs. Every inch of scorching water pricked at his pale skin, sending pinpricks of pain throughout his body. No matter how hard Fai tried to scream, no sound escaped. No matter how hard he tried to move his limp limbs, he stayed in his place. There was no where to go, no one to turn to. He couldn't do anything.<em>

_He was utterly helpless._

_'Someone...help...Anyone...Kuro-pon...'_

**_It's amusing to see how helpless you are, fool. Sleeping there, limp and useless. There's no way that little ninja of yours will come and rescue you now... Soon I'll have the feathers in my possession, and I'll be able to harness its hidden power...Whatever that power may be._**

_The voice in his head was harsh, not reassuring like the other voice he had previously heard inside his head some time ago._

_'Can't...stand much of this...any...longer...'_

* * *

><p>As soon as Syaoran and Sakura found Tsukia and brought her over to the apartment, Kurogane was throwing things around the room.<p>

"Stupid idiot mage, always getting himself into trouble...There's got to be something here I can use to stop that damn fever..." Crimson eyes scoured the floor, under the chairs, and anywhere he could get his large tan hands on.

Syaoran cleared his throat. "Kurogane-san, we brought Tsukia like you told us to. Why do you want her to-"

The ninja pushed Tsukia towards Fai and sat her down at his bedside. "What's happening to him? Fix him. His fever won't go down, and he's convulsing like some strange lunatic."

The woman scrunched up her eyebrows. "I...don't know. If you'll allow me a closer look, please." The ninja nodded immediately.

As Kurogane stepped back towards Syaoran, the boy chose this time to speak up. "Kurogane-san, if you don't mind me asking, but why are you so concerned about Fai in the first place?" He flushed out of embarrassment. "I mean, I understand he's one of our comrades, but I'm just curious as to why you're caring for him."

The ninja leaned against the wall and shut his eyes nonchalantly. "To be honest, kid, I'm...I...I don't know."

The kid smiled, secretly knowing something was up. From what the clone had gathered for him in his eye, Syaoran deduced that Kurogane was a bit intimidating, and he had absolutely hated the mage. It interested him greatly that Kurogane would care so much for Fai.

Yes, Syaoran knew what was up. After all, he had experienced it himself.

* * *

><p><em>Somewhere in between the harsh heat and throbbing voice in his head, Fai found himself transported to somewhere else. A brighter, cooler place. A light springtime breeze brushed his collarbone in a ticklish manner, the air around him smelling of sakura petals and green tea. Fai released a breath of relief through his nose. He was free, at least for now. His senses were still unable to function, and he could feel his presence fading at an impossible rate. Was this...Recognition? Had Kuro-pup already found his second feather...?<em>

_Fai touched his eyes and tried to speak out words with his nonexistent voice. Nothing escaped his lips but the occasional flicker of his tongue, and an inky black clouded his vision. No, it wasn't Recognition._

_Then...a dream?_

* * *

><p>"I'm afraid this fever that Fai has isn't any ordinary illness. In the dream where his soul is sleeping, a strange force seems to have penetrated through the barriers that the Great Phoenix has set up to make sure nothing comes in or out, unless of course, it's Recognition. But still...This is strange. I can't really identify anything else for the time being..." She stroked her fingers through Fai's tousled and sweat-soaked bangs. "However, I do know where the next feather is hidden now. If you can obtain the feather quickly, I'm sure that this strange force will hold off on its attacking on Fai-kun."<p>

But the only person listening was Syaoran, for Kurogane was already fast asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah, yeah, yeah. Short chapter, I know. This chapter was written to introduce an antagonist character. So, whaddya think? Is this new bad guy "bad" enough for you? XD I always thought that Japan would smell of sakura petals and green tea, at least in Okinawa. Sakura was useless in this chapter, as usual. I think this chapter covered some good ground! See ya soon! AIR HUGS!<strong>

**~KiPanda Cutie**


	8. Chapter 8

**I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE A HUMONGOUS SHOUT OUT TO MY FRIEND KAWAIIJOY101! THANKS FOR THE REVIEW! XD**

**Anyway, I wanted to make Chapter 8 filled with character ship development. In other words...RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPMENT! Syaoran knows what's going down...what a smart kid.**

**Who's that voice, you say? That's a very very important secret!**

**Jitsugen and Karamaru, what's the story behind their relationship? You'll find out soon!**

**When is this super boring, super long bolded text A/N note going to end? Right now!**

**Read on, fellow readers!**

* * *

><p><em>Obtain this realization with open palms...<em>

_...No matter how many scars you have collected on the surface._

_Petals surround you both; a new beginning has started._

_Another page has yet to be lifted and turned._

_Do you realize what's happening outside of your sleeping form?_

_How can you dream inside a dream that is not your own?_

_He is here, and with that, you must persevere through this dream..._

_...For both your sake and his._

* * *

><p><em>Honestly, Kurogane didn't expect to meet the sleeping idiot inside a dream. It just sort of...happened. "Oi." Kurogane greeted the mage.<em>

_Fai was sprawled on the ground, his eyes closed and his mouth shut. His limbs reminded the ninja of noodles; they were so limp._

_'Ah, Kuro-chii, how nice of you to join me.' Fai's words reached Kurogane internally._

_"Why are you on the ground? Your eyes are closed, and you're not speaking. Can you even hear me?" Kurogane huffed._

_'Of course I can hear you, Kuro-silly. I can't use the rest of my senses, that's all.' Fai smiled, a bubble of laughter dying at his throat._

_Kurogane glared at the wizard and dragged his body towards a cherry blossom tree. He positioned Fai's body against the tree and chose to ignore the 'Aw, Kuro-daddy is so caring!' that Fai internally squealed. "Do you know what's happening outside of this dream?"_

_'No. Although, I have a slight idea.'_

_"You have a high fever. A priestess told us that there was a force penetrating the dream you were stuck in before."_

_Fai's brow furrowed. 'So that's why the water felt so warm...it's because I had a fever.'_

_Kurogane rolled his eyes. "No, idiot. You have a fever because of what's happening inside your dream." His tone wasn't sarcastic at all._

_Fai's closed eyes seemed to scrunch up as if the slightly shorter male was thinking intensely. 'I see. This impenetrable force...it's attacking me indirectly...while I'm helpless in the water. But why attack me in my soul's dream? Why not attack my real body?'_

_Before Kurogane could answer, Fai smiled slightly. 'I'll tell you why. It's because by attacking me in my soul's dream, he can damage both the physical body and the soul. Whoever or whatever this force is, he really knows his stuff. But I still wonder...why is he attacking me out of all people?' His smile grew. 'This force should've attacked the almighty Kuro-puff, the greatest ninja in all the land!' If the wizard could laugh right now, he would._

_Kurogane punched the mage's shoulder. "Shut up, idiot. I'm not the one helpless and dependent, am I?"_

_Fai bit back an argument and just smiled._

_The spring breeze seemed to produce a heavy layer of calm into the atmosphere, the dream seeming tranquil and safe. The cherry blossom trees outstretched their branches, as if welcoming the two males to their surreal landscape. The dirt paths were damp with rain, the atmosphere a comfortable kind of silence. There were no people, other than Fai and Kurogane, and there were no living things besides the tall sakura trees. It was utterly peaceful, yet something felt off._

_Kurogane knew better than to let this calm overtake his every instinct._

_"You feel that, mage?"_

_Fai smiled. 'I feel it.'_

_A foreign presence was near, yes, the rush of adrenaline coursing through Kurogane's veins right now were sure signs that something foreign, something powerful, was lurking here. A small noise resonated throughout the dream, the faint tinkling of bells. The landscape seemed to tremble, as if a deep tremor was shaking the very dream itself. Then, everything froze._

_Kurogane grinned. "Whoever you are, show yourself. Unless you're a coward."_

_Fai really wanted to laugh at that._

_'I'm sorry, but I can't really do that. It's not time yet.' A mysterious voice penetrated through the frozen landscape._

_"Why don't you tell us who you are before I kill you?" Kurogane had the urge to reach for his nonexistent katana, but he clenched his fists instead._

_'How adorable. I don't really like introductions, but if it's for the sake of a good fight, I can't refuse, can I?' The voice seemed to smile. 'My name is Karamaru. I am Jitsugen's, the Phoenix of Realization's, counterpart.'_

_Kurogane's eyes widened at the sound of Karamaru's name. 'Karamaru, huh? I thought he was Jitsugen's sappy lover. What's this guy's problem?'_

_Fai seemed to tremble the slightest bit, the smile that had worked its way upon his pale face now diminished into a small frown. 'I know this voice...'_

_The ninja's crimson eyes traveled over to the mage's, a questioning look held in place. The wizard, limp as he was, looked even weaker than he already did._

_The voice chuckled. 'What have we here...? Is that...? Oh yes! I knew it! You two must be the travelers that Jitsugen was trying to protect! Well, if you call planting a sleeping spell on the submissive blonde, and forcing the super scary looking ninja off to collect the sleeping boy's realization feathers "protective"...'_

_That's when Fai lip twitched irritably. 'Submissive? Am I really...submissive?'_

_Kurogane really, really wanted to laugh._

_'When Jitsugen started hiding things from me, I started to get suspicious,' the voice's tone immediately became something between pouting and mocking. 'I don't really understand why he would keep anything away from me, especially cute little humans like you. You both remind me of Jitsugen and I, back in the old days...' The voice sighed. 'That is...before things started to change.'_

_Kurogane raised his eyebrows. "What do you mean by...change?" Things were starting to get interesting._

_'Well you see, a long time ago, there was this mysterious force. Of course, I was the sappy and romantic Karamaru back then, the Great Phoenix that would help his people to their fates. But after that force hit, and I was sent to sleep..._

_...I changed.' Karamaru laughed gleefully. 'And it's so much more fun like this, to be a new Karamaru!'_

_A loud clap of thunder howled in the sky, lighting the now gray sky with cracks of lightning. The trees wilted immediately, and the dirt path started to crack and crumble. 'Let's have a little fun, shall we?'_

_Fai shivered. 'I definitely know this voice...it's the voice that was speaking to me when I was sleeping...he's the voice that caused the liquid to heat up...' The wizard frowned. 'If this is true, this god's new idea of fun is the suffering of others, specifically people that remind him of this god's counterpart and himself...'_

_'Not just suffering in general, Fai D. Flourite, but also the suffering from fate.' The voice seemed amused. 'I'll make sure that you and your little ninja friend have a very interesting fate...' He chuckled._

_Kurogane rolled his eyes and growled. "If you want to fight us, why don't you go ahead and fight? Stop being a coward and show yourself!"_

_Karamaru sighed. 'Hm...? No thanks, it's not time yet. I'd like to have some fun...indirectly.'_

_Again, the lightening cracked the sky into several parts, thunder clapping repeatedly. Wind shrieked in the ninja's ears, and the gray sky darkened into something much duller and darker. The ground began to tremble and shake, and a spurt of inky black substance burst through the cracked path. The substance snaked its way towards the ninja and the wizard, everything around the substance wilted and crumbled into nothingness. Kurogane really wanted his katana, he missed the smooth and dangerous feel of the metal blade. But there was nothing he could use. All of the natural flora would just wilt under the liquid's touch, so using any type of sharp branch was out of the question. Kurogane backed up, his arm stretched out protectively to shield the mage._

_'Why am I protecting him like this...?' The action felt so natural, but...a strange bubbling feeling rose up to his chest upon shielding the mage from harm._

_The idiot couldn't protect himself. He's too selfless, and on top of that, he wasn't even conscious! It wouldn't be long now; the living blob was closing in on him. Kurogane frowned. If he dies in a dream, does that mean he would also die in reality...? As the ninja was thinking about this, he barely had time to register the quiet 'whoosh' of claws being unsheathed and the lithe form jumping out in front of him._

_'I must protect Kurogane.' Fai raked his nails into the dark liquid, shoving his elongated nails in all the way up to his knuckles. The substance hissed and stilled._

_As soon as the mage had made an effort to protect the ninja, he fell limp once again. Kurogane blinked his eyes, trying to pinpoint when exactly the mage moved, and why he wasn't cursing the wizard off right this minute. "You...you...you...! ...DON'T JUST LAY AROUND LIKE A LIMP NOODLE, IDIOT! YOU MOVED AND KILLED THAT...THAT THING! I'M SURPRISED YOU CAN EVEN MOVE AT ALL!"_

_Fai smiled. 'But Kuro-chii, I didn't even know I could do that until now! I saw you standing there, absolutely helpless, so my body moved on its own!' Fai's smile grew bigger, and a small laugh threatened to pry his lips open. 'You didn't want that thing to eat you, right?'_

_Kurogane sent a death glare towards Fai, an angry vein pulsing on his forehead. "HELPLESS?! I swear, mage...I'll make sure you don't wake up..." Kurogane raised his fist threateningly._

_'Aw, Kuro-puu! Don't be such a meanie!'_

_"Shut up, mage."_

_Suddenly, the darkness quivered back to life, the shadowy thick liquid sliding towards the two men quickly. The voice chuckled. 'You should know it takes more than a simple scratch to decimate a creature like this.'_

_The shadowy lump of dark liquid growled and started to morph into a huge bird-snake, a sharp black beak protruding out of its equally inky reptilian face. Its beady eyes glinted at Kurogane's crimson orbs. "Don't worry, honorable ninja. I promise you an excruciatingly painful death." The shadowy bird-snake bared its fangs at Fai's limp body. "As for you...I promise you a death a thousand times more painful." Black liquid oozed from the snake's fangs in small globules, its forked tongue flicking out to catch the dripping essence._

_Kurogane's impenetrable visage softened for a second, his eyes flickering with worry for just a moment, before switching back to his infamous frown. "So be it. I was hoping for a good fight, but all I gotta do is defeat you."_

_Fai frowned. 'Kuro-pup, I'm not sure that this will be as easy as you think..._

_...Just be careful.'_

_Kurogane just barely noticed the worried tone of the mage's voice. "Tch, whatever." This was going to be easy._

_The bird-snake stretched the skin on its jaws, morphing its mouth into some sort of grotesque smile. It tilted its head to the side, an audible crack resonating from its neck. "It'll be an honor to hear your blood splash onto the ground, and a reward to spill it."_

_In a flash, the snake glided towards the men in a frenzy, its teeth just grazing over the back of Kurogane's hand. A tender welt began to form, the calloused flesh around it swelling and sweating white body fluids. Kurogane winced. 'Damn, that hurt!'_

_The ninja barely had time to notice the deep concern etched into Fai's pale visage, let alone the snake that was once again slithering towards him at incredible speed. Kurogane kicked the snake's head aside, the impact creating a resounding crunch. 'Boy, I thought this thing was made of liquid...'_

_The snake lifted its head back up, the entire right half of its face dented in, the long bird bill cracked and bruised. "Oh, you'll pay for that, ninja." The snake advanced once more, but Kurogane stepped back, causing the snake to only pierce its sharp beak through the edge of the ninja's pant leg. The fabric began to wilt away, releasing a foul-smelling smoke as the fabric burned away. The snake jumped back, preparing to strike again. "This time, I won't miss." The snake hissed on the last syllable._

_'Kuro-wanko is getting hurt...' Fai's lips thinned into a straight line, eyebrows scrunched, completing the mage's expression of worry. 'I want to help Kuro-pon. I really want to.'_

_Kurogane dodged attack after attack, his eyes constantly wandering around his surroundings to try and find a weapon. 'If I don't find a weapon soon, this snake is going to get its chance to strike.' The ninja's hands itched for a weapon, clenching and unclenching his fists. 'I have to look for a sword!'_

_In the corner of his eye, Kurogane just had time to spot something sparkling. 'A sword! I must get it!' Kurogane smirked, his hand reaching for the object he was seeking. Just as he reached for it, the sparkling object flew at him. Upon closer inspection, Kurogane noticed that the sparkling object wasn't a metal blade, but the tail of the bird-snake. The sparkling disappeared in the snake's body of liquid, and the creature pounced._

_'So this is how it ends,' Kurogane thought. 'Killed by stupidity. I always thought I would die more honorably.' He closed his eyes. 'What would the brat and the princess think...when they find out I've been destroyed by a dream...And that damn cream puff, wonder what that thing'll say. I failed to protect that stupid ass mage...why do I feel pain in my chest when I think about failing him...? He's an idiot, I'm probably angry at him. Wait a second...' Kurogane suddenly wondered why he wasn't some floating spirit yet._

_When Kurogane opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the stupid snake towering over the mage's limp body. The second thing he saw was that equally (or more) stupid mage smiling._

Smiling.

_Grinning._

_Right. At. That. Snake. Thing._

_"Why the hell are you just lying there?! Don't you have any brains, wizard?! Move! Attack it! At least kill it!" Kurogane roared, but Fai still did not move._

_'Sorry, Kurgs, but I can't really do anything.' Fai kept that same stupid smile plastered upon his face, desperately hoping that Kurogane had not heard his rapidly pounding heart. 'That's what it means to be submissive, right?' His smile disappeared once the snake pressed its forked tongue against his ear._

_"You know, Fai D. Flourite, you were the one I was after all this time. You were the real prize Master wanted me to retrieve. The ninja was going to be my appetizer, but you'll be my main course." The snake slithered around the mage, slipping around Fai's unconscious body. "I want to devour you slowly. I want you to feel the most pain." Fai's body was nearly consumed by the growing black mass. "But don't worry, Fai-san. After all of this pain is over, you'll be with your brother. You'll finally see him again. Then you won't have to hide away behind your fake name, isn't that right...Yuui?" Fai's true name rolled off of the snake's forked tongue, the creature's beak pressing against Fai's now-exposed neck. The snake whispered something that couldn't be heard by human ears, and sneered._

_Almost immediately, Fai's eyes snapped open and he threw his head back. A scream ripped out of his throat, the slick metallic feel of blood creeping down his throat, coating his uvula thoroughly with the dripping substance. Fai's eye flickered yellow and light cerulean, the pupil contracted. He writhed in the black mass, his hair drawn all around his face, the ponytail no longer held the blonde locks in captivity. "STOP! STOP!" Fai croaked. "I'm sorry...! I'm sorry Fai! ...NO! STOP, ASHURA-OU!_

_"What did you do to him...?" Kurogane growled, taking a step forward. The snake pressed its beak against Fai's creamy flesh harder, just enough to leave a deep indent, but not enough to draw blood._

_"What ever do you mean, ninja?" The snake hissed, mock hurt laced around his tongue. "I'm just helping him remember~."_

_"Remember what?" Kurogane growled a little louder this time, crimson eyes glinting dangerously._

_The snake sneered. "Quite dense, are you? My main course is remembering the most painful moments in his life~. He's quite pretty when he's in pain, don't you think?" The black mass surrounding Fai turned his face towards Kurogane, revealing Fai's pain-coated face._

_Kurogane forced himself to look away. "Quit playing around with him. Let him go, or else I'll have to kill you in the most painful way I know."_

_"With what weapon, ninja? With what army?" The snake snickered. "You see, I have the upper hand. I'm getting quite hungry anyway, so I must end this soon. Say goodbye to Fai, ninja!" Fangs prepared to pierce into Fai's flesh. "You're going to taste quite delicious, Fai-san~."_

_Kurogane felt his last nerve burst, and white fury squeezed Kurogane's chest. "...You arse...!" He sent his fist into the snake's skull, and a pained hiss sounded from the snake. Kurogane twisted its head with his hand, smirking at the crunching sound. He dropped the snake's head, and the black mass surrounding Fai dissolved into the dirt path. Fai continued to convulse, a psychotic expression painted in his eyes. Kurogane shook his shoulders._

_"Okay, I know you're in there, idiot. You better wake up, or I'll knock some sense into you." He masked his twinge of concern behind him. "...Wake up, you idiot!"_

_Fai continued to tremble, his eye never leaving the sky. "...Yuui...That's my name...right? No, it's his name. My name is Fai. Hehe. It always has been Fai. Yuui died. Yuui is not here. Hehe. Yuui will not exist. Hehe. Yuui is not my name. Fai is my name. I am Fai. My name is Fai..." He continued to ramble incoherently._

_Kurogane punched Fai's shoulder. "Snap out it! Can't you see me?! Don't you feel this?!" He shook Fai once more. "Or this?!" The ninja set the mage down hard, the blonde's head hitting the ground with a hard thump._

_Fai was silent now, but his eye was still open. His hands trembled slightly, and a sob threatened to break loose._

_Kurogane glared at the sky. "Wanna tell me anything else, flying freak? What about you, evil Phoenix?" The sky was silent, not a sound was heard at all in the dream, save for the barely audible sound of Fai's unsteady breathing._

_The gray clouds overhead began to ripple and shudder, and a merciless shower of rain pounded against the dirt. Kurogane swore at the sky, cursing them out in every way he knew. He noticed Fai's still trembling form, and decided to reach for shelter. "Troublesome mage..."_

_Kurogane lifted up Fai like he did back in Outo Country when Fai had hurt his leg. Despite the convulsing, Kurogane couldn't help but notice that Fai's skin felt like he had just thrown himself into a bath of fire. They hid away in the leafy brush of a tree, safe from the rain._

_"W-why would you give yourself up to be...to be my...my prey?! You could've given me what I wanted." Fai was babbling again, unconsciously remembering a conversation they had had back in Tokyo._

_Kurogane decided to play along, even if the mage didn't hear him. "And let you die, dumbass? What would the princess say? And the brat, what about him? Before you go sacrificing yourself, you should think about what others are going to say. Don't go sacrificing yourself for the betterment of us. We can handle ourselves just fine. What you need to do is take care of your own self, idiot. If you think I'm going to let you die, then you're a fool."_

_Fai was silent again, and Kurogane frowned. "Nothing to say, wizard?" He placed his hands on either side of Fai's shoulders and glared into Fai's eye, which was still facing the sky._

_All of a sudden, Fai's convulsing began to quicken in pace. A sharp shriek erupted from his throat, and the blood that had congealed on his uvula began to flow once more, leaving a trail down his tongue. "SYAORAN! NOOO! I...I DIDN'T MEAN TO! WAKE UP...! PLEASE, WAKE UP!" Fai threw his head back as if he was in pain, and his cries grew louder. "I didn't mean to... I...I didn't mean to..." Tears started to trickle down his face. "...Sakura...? Are you...awake...? Wha...What...? I don't remember...killing you...All of you...I don't remember...I don't understand..." Kurogane raised an eyebrow. The princess...? What was the idiot mumbling about? Were they...dead? But...he knew for certain that the brat and the princess weren't dead yet. Could this be...the future?_

_Fai clutched Kurogane's shoulders and sobbed. "I couldn't protect you...I killed you instead...I don't remember...I don't...Sakura-chan...Syaoran-kun..." It was the last name that Fai cried that made the ninja's eyes widen. "K...k...ku...ro...o...ga...n...ne...!"_

_Before he knew what he was doing, the ninja snatched the mage up into his arms, his hands pressing Fai flush against him. "I'm right here, you idiot. You're hallucinating. You better wake up before I punch out your remaining sanity."_

_It seemed to Kurogane like this dream was transforming into some kind of cliched shoujo manga he read in Outo Country. The more he thought about it, that strange feeling that just so happened to bubble up to the surface of his chest prodded and poked at him. This feeling...it felt like some sort of adrenaline rush mixed in with intense heartburn. Kurogane tried to dislike this feeling. Tried._

_Lost in his own thoughts and "heartburn," the ninja barely had time to feel a pair of arms snaking around his neck and a face burying into the crook of his neck. That mage was close. Really close. It was strange; it was strange to have the mage so close to him despite all of the insults that he thrashed out, despite how distant the mage tried to be._

_"...Kurogane...? Is...Is that you?" Fai's voice was finally audible, and he wasn't in pain and shrieking at the top of his lungs either. "...The last thing I remember, I was up to my neck in black muck! Then..." Fai desperately ransacked his brain for information. "That's strange...I don't remember...but...at least I can use my senses now, right Kuro-wanko?"_

_Kurogane just huffed in reply, letting go of the mage. "It was raining. You were shaking like you were cold or something. I found shelter and helped you warm up." He couldn't help but inwardly curse at how monotone and robotic he was being._

_Fai grinned. "Well, thank you for saving me, Daddy! Mommy is very grateful!" He tightened his grip around Kurogane one last time and pulled away._

_Kurogane could just make out the soft and ticklish kiss of a feather brushing against his palms as Fai pulled away and smiled one last time before disappearing. "Bye, Kuro-myu. See you next time, 'kay?"_

_He couldn't help but smirk. 'All right, you idiot. Next time.'_

* * *

><p><strong>This took a whole frigging week to write! Midterms are this week! T-T Why meeeeee? Well, see y'all later! M'Kay, baii!<strong>

**~KiPanda Cutie**


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